Live Review: Grace Barbe, Edie Green, Spacemanantics, The David Craft Band, Bernadine, Joni In The Moon

Axiom at the Rosemount Hotel played host to a plethora of bands ranging from chill Afro-reggae vibes to heady indie-rock. The first band was local folktronic group Joni In The Moon, whose sound could be described as world music splattered with the undertones of R&B, plus with an interesting blend of folk. Crisp, uplifting and unique, a highlight of the band’s performance was Dove Song, the robust vocals of Joni Hogan carrying the group’s performance to a steadily rocking crowd. 

The next performer to hit the stage was Bernadine, who, like Joni In The Moon, provided their own unique form of roots music. Bernadine provided the crowd with a more classical form of folk, allowing the crowd to kick back to her emotionally frank musings.

The David Craft Band took the roots-filled night into a more rock’n’roll direction, guided by the godly presence of lead singer David Craft’s baritone voice. The instrumentation from the band added a slight ‘90s rock feel to their music, with faint, well placed echoes coming from the backing vocals. Some of the most notable tracks that allowed Craft’s deep voice to shine included Human Stain and Smokey Lungs And Dirty Puns. 

At the second stage in the bar next door, SpaceManAntics pushed their set into the realms of psychedelic vitriol with the undulating tendencies of A Man Is A Ghost Of Peter Pan, which created some rhythmic upbeat vibes for the crowd, coupled as it was with some tragic undertones contained within the hazy, phasing guitars and cyclic, addictive, drum beats. 

Indie outfit Edie Green rocked it out with some catchy indie-pop. Much of the crowd had now materialised around the stage and halfway through their set, a spaced-out, self-contained mosh pit had formed. Edie Green set off some bangers and also gave the lucky punters something to shake to with their new single, Thieves.

The night finished off with some chill afro-reggae beats coming from Grace Barbe and her eponymous group. Speaking French and English and anything in between, her tracks made the punters feel as if they were transported to another world. Singing tracks like Afro-Sega and Mous Pran Fler, Barbe and her group transported the crowd into a tropical bliss.