Cabrakid @ Waterfront Studio
Raw talent from Norwich young un's.
On Saturday the 27th of March the Waterfront Studio opened its doors and welcomed in a huge crowd of music lovers, giving shelter from the rain and wind, whilst offering up some of Norwich’s best local talent. The cheap beer is a plus, so at the end of the day, why wouldn’t you?
First to take to the stage was young talent Luke Peter Foster. After recently releasing his EP which received a great reaction, this spoken word wonder gave a strong performance to open up the night. With electronic yet acoustic back beats, the sound is similar to that of King Krule. There are aspects of trip hop, but unfortunately it lacks the grit and dark-wave I was looking for, which the beats led me to believe this artist would possess. Not to worry; Foster is still young, and his already apparent talent is more than I ever expected. There’s room to grow and there’s room to improve. A great performance, and I look forward to what comes next from this urban poet.
Tonight was the second time seeing Maya Law live, the first being at Gringo’s not too long ago where she gave a short yet captivating performance. The young songbird never fails to impress and I have developed a big love for her music, endearing stage presence and characteristics. Tonight, young Law was on point, although experiencing technical difficulty with her guitar towards the end, her voice and cheeky grin beamed across the room and made everyone instantly hooked. The original songs are always something to look out for, showcasing her talent as a songwriter and artist, but I will not lie when I say that her covers are what really make this girl stand out. Having heard You Know That I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse original) before, her cover of Adele’s Hometown Glory was really something that struck me as a song which transforms Maya from a girl with an acoustic guitar, to a woman with a soulful and well used voice. Truly exciting things to come from her, and I for one will be keeping up to date with what the future holds.
Tryna Think take to the stage next, a rap collective which had the crowd moving in seconds, bouncing off each other’s bars and showcasing some great local hip hop hopefuls. Tryna Think consists of a group of lads spitting, and one on back beats. It works well. Better than well. It’s fucking awesome. It’s seemingly impossible to find anything recorded and online, which is a real shame. But I look forward to seeing the boys again. With upcoming releases from the individuals, plus beats-man and sound boy Charlie Satchel with a night at Bedford’s Crypt in the near future, the lads are bopping around and doing what they do best. It’s just a case of knowing where and knowing when. Tryna Think are new, exciting, raw, gritty and superbly talented. Record and release guys, record and release. I’m waiting.
Norwich’s best loved man duo Cabrakid take to the stage to end the night, combining steady beats, spoken word and hip hop, which rolled into a ball clearly mirrors the style of successful artist Ghost Poet. Lyricist, singer and rapper Jake Setters gives an impressive performance, a voice which sounds natural and has a way with his words which goes way deeper than just surface encounters. With lyrics and soul that take this duo to the next level, success seems almost inevitable. Gabriel Gifford lays down the foundations behind Jake’s words with solid beats which set up great opportunities to spit bars which was showcased and proved extensively this evening. The beats take you back to what hip hop was, is, and should always be; those strong loops, drops and old-skool samples which fans grow to love and associate with the genre. Cabrakid have a clear understanding of what they are trying to achieve and that is shown through the consistency within their performance this evening. They mix things up a little by dragging guests onto the stage throughout, including Maya Law and Noah Merrell to play their belter of a track Under Your Skin which appears as a certified crowd pleaser if the beaming smiles of the teen infested crowd is anything to go by. The set flowed well, and the crowd presence was on point. Whether this was due to the amount of close friends in the audience, or the general attitude of the boys is still a mystery and will be something that will become clear as they grow bigger and take on more dates. I’m expecting huge things from these shining beacons of raw talent. Nice one Cabrakid.
This evening really bought it back, and what unfolded in front of me was nothing but raw talent and awareness of direction within music and genre. Although the average age of performers was just 18, I can’t help but think what a bloody great future these lot all have ahead. A wonderful sound of maturity channelled through all artists and it was something I would pay good money to see again.
