Deaf Havana // NAC - 07.11.11
"Having not played Norwich since November last year, it is obvious by the excitement in the room that Deaf Havana are very missed in our fine city."
Deaf Havana – Norwich Arts Centre - 7th November 2011 – Album release show.
Oxford four piece Evarose seem to definitely be going in the right direction since forming in early 2010. Last time I saw them they were supporting a small local band in the depths of the B2 yet tonight they grace the stage of what is the long awaited album release show of , Kings Lynn’s finest, Deaf Havana’s second album. The girls launch into their short set, receiving a great response from the already buzzing audience. A small mosh breaks out during ‘Today is a minute too long’ and the crowd doesn’t hold back their singing voices during ‘Flatline’.
Having not played Norwich since November 1st last year, it is obvious by the excitement in the room that Deaf Havana are very missed in our fine city. After a short greeting from singer James, they dive straight into showcasing their new album ‘Fools and Worthless Liars’ in its entirety. Beginning with the beautifully acoustic and surprisingly blunt ‘The Past Six Years’, the audience are instantly singing along to every word, despite the fact the record only came out today. As soon as the guitars of sing along, ‘I Will Try’ kick in, so does the relentless mosh. It’s obvious everyone is here tonight simply to have a great time, including the band, who bound around the stage playing each chord with passion only holding back a little to take in the amazing crowd response to their brand new songs. They stop only a few times for James to introduce and give a little personal insight into the meanings behind the songs. Other than that the night continues in a blur of music and mosh and sheer love for this fantastic band. Other highlights for me come in the form of latest single ‘I’m a Bore, Mostly’ and what is possibly the most personal song on the album ‘Anemophobia’. The band promise to play some older songs after finishing off their album showcase with the beautifully written ‘Fifty Four’. Wasting no time, the four-piece crash straight into crowd favourite ‘Friends Like These’ with a little help from ex-singer Ryan Mellor who is welcomed with an enormous cheer as he walks onto the small stage. They finish what can only be described as an almost flawless set with another favourite of mine ‘Nicotine & Alcohol Saved My Life’ before walking off stage leaving the audience even more excited for the new album.
Ellie Smith
