The local musing indie trio, Blindride have the difficult task of retaining the integrity and reflective nature of their sound in a live setting. At the same time, they have to keep revellers in the mood and the momentum for the club night that immediately follows this set. The prominent, rising keyboard element provided by front man Kevin Wardman, toes along the searching ‘Curtain Call’ that has enough of a kick to keep those on the dance floor contented, while the thoughtful lyrics seem to hit home with those chilling out towards the bar.

A big Leaves and to a lesser extent Radiohead and Elbow theme grows into the brief and flighty set, reaching a prominent pitch in the sore, yet soothing ‘Dust & Ashes’. This also features a typical Coldplay intro style instrumental build, as the keyboard almost cries out and so do some of the crowd.  ‘Every Downward Stroke’ manages to mingle in mournfulness with a flighty instrumental element, coming out mainly in the combined percussion and keyboard push. This brings on some gentle swaying and meaningful looks from appreciative gatherers.

What is noticeable most of all about the crafted trio’s performance is that they do not try and substitute the lack of a bass, with amped up guitars and needless percussion thrusts. They produce subtle, but dance friendly rhythms to coat the feeling laden cries of Wardman. The emotive impact benefits greatly for this approach. A slow climb to recognition and respect has already begun. This has seen them facilitate the integrity of the much lauded ‘In The City’ event and, the ability to adapt to and enjoy tonight’s setting is certainly not going to hinder Blindride’s continuing climb.

David Adair