Jim Hudson At The Victoria
Kicking things off we had Wolverhampton-based artist, Jim Hudson. Dressed in all black Jim took the time to speak with me, and Jim certainly has the artistic mindset to belong on stage. His wise demeanour and cool presence certainly impressed The Victoria crowd that night, dressed in Johnny Cash all black. His Radiohead/Doves/Leanord Cohen-influenced sounds have been emerging from the Black Country since his first EP, ‘Fallen’ was released in 2019. It is refreshing to hear an artist who isn’t trying to force it.
Overcoming Expectations
“I am making stuff that I want to hear, my words can be fairly vague and cryptic and I’m influenced by a lot of early 90s alternative and indie… I am just trying to do my own thing with that. Getting into this at a later age, I have had to overcome people’s expectations… I just think this is what I want to do, and if you don’t like it well, I don’t care! I’m doing it anyway.”
Jim is very much a feel musician, operating as a singer-songwriter who is searching for that next esoteric chord progression to manifest those cryptic words he speaks of. An introvert with a world to express, “It can sometimes be a struggle to fight it to get it out” Jim explained. But I can assure you I am glad he has conquered it because the tunes are great! Alternative and Folky guitar stylings backed by a tight and adaptable band, supporting Jim’s poetic words.
“I have always sort of messed around with guitars, but it has only been the last 8 years or so that I have taken it seriously. After doing solo acoustic shows, I got the band together to fill out the sound…the songs lend themselves better to a band!”
Jim kicked things off the right way, with a rock ‘n’ roll attitude mixed with an artistic expression. It certainly raised the bar for our next act.
Psychedelic War
Katvari up next. These lads brought a whole lot of jam, laced with the wah-wah stylistic of Hendrix and Kyuss with enough pop sensibility to get the crowd singing along. Their vocalist had a rasp to his voice, imagine Liam Gallagher meets Kurt Cobain, with the demeanour of Josh Homme. But their sound wasn’t limited to heavier rock, with a slower number that had an aura of Neil Young’s ‘On the Beach’ album… these guys brought a range of influences to The Victoria. Their new single ‘Psychedelic War’ got the groove going and the hips moving.
Rave Energy!
Faulted Time now took to the stage, and this duo switched the vibe up completely! Pop-punk/emo rap vibes blended with The Streets and Enter Shikari, I was beginning to count my lucky stars for the variety in the show’s lineup, being a multi-genre fan pays off here. Classic Hip Hop beats with Punk Rock tones, these lads are phenomenal! Their frontman was a possessed machine, professional yet a loose cannon. The drummer hits as hard as any great Rock drummer, with Grime rhythms and Punk groove beats. Now the gig has a rave energy. The night has been an extravaganza so far!
Indie Feeling
Vibrant Ducks coming up next, think The Cure, Wet Leg and The Vaccines and a vocal aesthetic of Lily Allen. They played some brilliant original tracks with some Blur and Arctic Monkeys cover songs, the Indie feeling had the room bouncing and the sing-a-longs were flowing! The drummer sang lead vocal on a number that had a major Richard Hell feel and I loved it. Sadly, this was the lead guitarist’s last show though, but this lot will push on.
Burning Down the House
Burning House now, this beautifully messed up gothic progressive post-punk assortment was a sweet yet evil twist. Catchy hooks with moody melodies, Kings of Leon’s ‘Because of the Times’ blended with Joy Division and Rush. This cocktail topped the night off nicely, I was now drunk from the night’s sonic cocktails and Burning House officially burnt down the house. Saturday night at The Victoria was the place to be, what a feast for the senses.
The Victoria is a great venue so get yourselves down to any shows you may see here. It’s so much fun.
