Sea of Bees – Down At The Front

Sea of Bees at St Johns

Paul Hudson — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 20:27:04 +0000

My second night with Sea of Bees. Tonight they played a church with their UK touring band. As always, it was beautiful music from people I want to listen to. I could listen to them every night. I simply love Jules voice and the beautiful music she writes.

Sea of Bees at Rough Trade

Paul Hudson — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 20:17:11 +0000

The first of two evenings with the Sea Of Bees. I really do love this band. Tonight was yet another reason to love them. Instead of the usual 30 minute Rough Trade set. The set lasted nearly an hour with the usual great interaction with the crowd and great songs sang with passion and humour.

Sea of Bees supporting Sarah Cracknell

Paul Hudson — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 21:49:15 +0000

Sea of Bees are one of my favourite bands. Despite only playing in support, I still thought it would be worth catching them, especially with the prospect of hearing material from their new album.

The problem watching favourite bands playing in a support role is that you can’t always guarantee they will be shown respect from the headline act’s audience. Tonight at Bush Hall was okay. Those listening near the stage gave Jules and Amber the respect they deserve. However, due to the layout of Bush Hall, there was a lot of noise from the rear of the room which distracted a bit from the overall performance. Not enough to completely undermine them, but at times it did stop ,e from focusing my whole attention.

It’s a pity they didn’t all listen. The Bees where significantly better both musically and vocally than Sarah Cracknell. Their new songs sounded great and they tackled some of their old material in a new acapela fashion. A brave choice with a potentially hostile crowd. But all went well and most seemed interested in what they heard. Me, I was just glad to see them again. There’s just something about Jules voice that resonates inside me.

After the Bees, Sarah came on. I’ve never been a St Etieme fan but I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to be wowed, but I was more disappointed than I expected to be. The music from her new album was nowhere near as interesting personal as Jules’s music. But surprisingly it was vocally that I was most disappointed. Although the sound wasn’t great for either band. Sarah’s vocals were so incipient bland as to not register.

However, the male audience ‘of a certain age’ lapped up her performance. Me, I left early. She’s just not for me.

Sea of Bees

Paul Hudson — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 20:29:40 +0000

Unable to the London’s Union Chapel gig, tonight’s gig was a more intimate gig at the Cornerhouse in Cambridge. I’ve said it before, I love Jules voice. It has an endearing vulnerability that makes me believe everything she sings. So it was worth travelling up to Cambridge to see them.

[youtube cziCcak8qYo 600]

Sea of Bees

Paul Hudson — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 14:19:34 +0000

Amber’s lost her voice

More Sea of Bees at the Gallery Cafe on Flickr

Sea of Bees

Paul Hudson — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:14:51 +0000

Another great gig from the Sea of Bees. I love Joule’s voice (the lead singer). Her voice has a vulnerability that draws me into the songs and although there is a vulnerability in her performance, oddly there’s a self-effacing confidence. I know it doesn’t sound right. But I just can’t explain it. Joules, while confident on stage, taking to and reacting to the audience, she never steps over the line into over-confidence. When talking and joking with the audience, it seems to me that I’m listening to her own internal monologue of the things she should be saying as a ‘rock star’, but isn’t confident enough to say them. Sometimes there’s a kind of ‘Frank Spencer’ about her, in the way he verbalised his doubts, and for me, this all works. Tonight’s gig was a mixture of old and new with the new material already finding a comfortable place within the live set.

The Sea of Bees were supported by Stealing Sheep. Their set was ‘interesting’, in a good way.

Stealing Sheep