Tuesday 20/07/04 Rose Kemp @ Freebutt, Brighton

Backed by the folksy twinges by the guitarist from Hanson, Megan Goodwin’s classy, soulful blues lack weight. Despite the best efforts of an excellent piano player, the lack of a bassist is sorely apparent; whilst the choice of percussionist over drummer seems decidedly shaky. There are some fine grooves though - ripe, one would imagine, for an exploratory bass-line and some understated jazz triplets - that without which fall a little flat. Sure, a band should be judged by what is there rather than what isn’t but such is the quality of Megan’s voice that we’re left wondering what might have been. As it is most of the songs wash over without leaving much impression: no notes, lyrics, refrains or riffs – bar one excellent piano solo - stick in the mind afterwards.

Fortunately there’s no such memory problems for Rose Kemp. True, Gigwise has seen her play once before, but her songs are so strong that they stick in the mind first time.
‘Guilded/Tainted’, ‘Birdsong’, ‘Kick it up’, ‘Blow Out’ and ‘Sing Our Last Goodbye’ are songs of the first order, spicy enough to flavour anyone’s album and beef it up into a full aural meal.

Beginning with ‘Guilded/Tainted’, she sings moodily of confusion and betrayal, as the guitars sing out behind her, the whole band exploding just when you want them to. However after this the dynamics seem to go a little awry, the volume not necessarily in synch with the emotions of the songs.
‘Sing Our Last Goodbye’ is a welcome holiday from the fuzz, as Rose loses her guitar and comes over all soul diva. At just 19, Rose has the makings of something very special – she is already an incredibly talented performer and vocalist, knowing the power of a soft note sung powerfully; there’s no warbling or wobbling here. The line “One day it’s going to look like I meant/ To hurt you my friend’” grabs us by the heart rather than the hair, and sings softly in our ears rather than screaming in our faces.

Then they go for it. Rose knows how to sing gently, but she also knows how to rock out. Which is just as well as ‘Kick It Up’ sounds like it should be a gentle Buckley-esque ballad, but the soundman is having none of it, so they crank it up. It’s a brave effort and they pull it off, repeating the feat with the last number ‘Burn Out’, which absolutely rocks.  A few over excited teenagers attempt a mosh pit, but nobody is really having any of it.

We’re all paying too much attention to what’s coming off the stage. 

Photos by Theo Berry