Sofar Sounds October Gig Review

Written By Mubarak Ali. Photos by Sofar Sounds

The ‘secret’ gig is St. Andrews worst kept secret; an event providing an intimate and immersive music experience. If you are unfamiliar; guests buy tickets well in advance of the show, the venue is released an hour before the show and the artists revealed upon attendance. As a fourth year, the dearth of live music from my first year has been greatly improved and Sofar sounds is championing this rise of live music in town. The October gig had three artists; Nekkuro Hána, Faith Eliott and DAX.

Nekkuro Hána, armed with a metric f*** ton of reverb and a pounding bass line, started off the night with a funk/jazz/punk infused set. Performing songs such as ‘Lizardman’, Nekkuro Hána got the gig off to a strong start. Packed with smooth tones, jazzy instrumentals and thumping drum solos Nekkuro Hána hurtled through the musical spectrum. On a personal note, particularly striking for me was the not only the level of interaction the band had with the crowd but also with the other acts. Nekkuro Hána really bought into the ethos of Sofar Sounds and were an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Faith Elliot followed with an acoustic metaphor-laden performance, rife with symbolism. Faith Elliot has a whole album about creatures of the world titled’ Impossible bodies’. Songs from this album provided a very vivid experience that juxtaposed the realities of life with the vastness of the universe. ‘Laika’ was one such song that was very poignant, really capturing the crowd. Elliot has one of the most beautiful and voices I have ever heard live that was eloquently quoted on the night as ‘V chill’.

DAX capped off the night with a predominantly ‘indie’ set that was punctuated with their renowned ‘sexy riff song’; so good, it warranted an encore. Songs ranged personal numbers about personal experiences of life and the intimacies of moving on to drum-laden beats and head-banging bass riffs. The ‘sexy riff song’ got a standing ovation twice; with its second performance greatly urged by members of Nekkuro Hána.

My own personal gripe with the show would be the set-list order; I’d have enjoyed either Faith Elliot or Nekkuro Hána at the end of the night. I’d have preferred to end the show with a performance on the extreme end of the musical spectrum. Of course, this a personal opinion and a very minor issue that did not impact the overall quality of the show.

The October gig was a well-run show, with high quality acts well received by the crowd. Faith Elliot and Nekkuro Hána are both on Spotify and well worth a listen. The February Sofar gig is coming up and I would highly recommend applying for a ticket; to enjoy a musical experience very distinct from others in St. Andrews.