Live Review: The Lammas Tide, Elkwood, Wonderchild, James Bosley

The night was young, and as a friend and I approached a man at the bar at The Rosemount we asked where the Four5Nine bar was.

He pointed us in the direction and we embarked on a journey down an enigmatic hall through milk crate-mounted walls and into a cosy little elongated, bar-fitted room encapsulated within the Rosemount Hotel, away from the rest of society. As we approached the stage, James Bosley had begun to introduce himself. Little more than four people were watching the timid one-man show, yet his lyrics were fascinating and his sombre sweet melodies lifted the mood as friends of Wonderchild entered the venue. Despite the cumbersome set-up of the jazz six-piece onto a small stage, they really impressed the crowd with their youthful, exaltation-bearing performance. The trending Elkwood, an all-girl four-piece, rocked out some psychedelic-oriented pop, their rendition of Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit appropriately fitting. The radiating congenial vibes within the crowd suggested closing with popular hit Martha was a great choice.

The last performance of the night also saw a full house. A classic ‘60s guitar and organ-driven psychedelic-folk five-piece, The Lammas Tide were prepared to rock our socks off, complete with fiddle, played by Fiona Davidson. The first song was a bit hit and a miss when guitarist Jeremy Segal broke his A string, although Alisa Menzies of Elkwood lent her guitar for the show while singer/organist Em Burrows jokingly began the next song without him. A melodica was busted out by Davidson during one song, its quirky addition making the night perfect. The vocal harmonies were ideal for their style, Burrows and F. Davidson a great team both musically and vocally. Markus Davidson looked relaxed as he bashed out obscure time changes, laughing during some moments with bassist Mark Romaro, whose flowing lower lines added that wonderful clarity to the band’s distorted rocking vibe.