The High Points - Cam T
One thing’s for certain, The High Points truly are the funkiest boys in town.
On Thursday night I took a trip to funky town, as the eyes and ears of Norwich’s most devoted funk n' soul fans were blessed by the myriad of sound that is The High Points. I was beyond excited to see the guys perform live, a self-described 4 piece multi’funk’tional band specialising in funk and soul but not restrictive to just these styles, the band are a genre-bending musical experience creating sound waves across Norwich’s music scene.
The night began with support artist Cam T looking after the crowd already filling Norwich’s charming Arts Centre. Cam is a local indie pop artist whose songs created a really great atmosphere, wonderfully warming up the crowd with his indie sound. Cam was the perfect choice of support for the band, his energy the ideal way to compliment that of the High Points and a great local artist who I’d love to see live again.
The High Points successfully sold out the Arts Centre with no promoters, having hired everything themselves, all within 2 weeks prior to the event, showing how eager fans were to see this band jamming out live onstage and as I didn’t manage to get tickets initially, I jumped at the chance to cover the night- my expectations were certainly exceeded.
Their set-list was a carefully curated mix of originals and covers, giving fans of their busking work an awesome taste of their music live in action. The band opened with their original ‘Play the Game’, one of my favourite tracks of the night for sure and the perfect way to capture the crowd’s attention from the outset. The track features vocals set perfectly against the backdrop of funk delight, the best way to begin the night, leaving the crowd in heavy anticipation of the next incredible song. The band’s impressive ability to seamlessly infuse catchy lyrics into their punchy funk hooks was demonstrated yet again in their song ‘Disco Queen’ and it was clear to see the crowd already having an amazing time. All of the band’s original songs were different and unique, but with one thing tying them together- their funky basslines, reminiscent of 70s funk legends such as Kool and the Gang and Parliament but with the modern twang of such distinctive vocals.
The band proceeded to throw in an acoustic number, sending the packed Arts Centre swaying to the relaxed sound, as fans had every lyric and note already committed to memory. The Arts Centre proved yet again to be the perfect venue to showcase a local band, the intimate setting reflective of the fan base- all of the High Points most steadfast fans packed tightly into the venue, making for an unmatched atmosphere.
Their last original song ‘Not Alone’ left the crowd eager for more and the band returned to the stage to treat us to an encore of cover songs for fans of funk for sure, showing that their skillset knows no limit. The sounds of The Doobie Brothers rang out across the venue as the band covered ‘Long Train Running’ and I was particularly excited to hear The Talking Heads covered as the band played their dazzling rendition of Psycho Killer. The High Points’ cover of this classic was slightly quicker tempo than the original which paired with the iconic funky bassline, left the crowd unafraid to boogie. The night closed with an incredible cover of ‘Get up offa that thing’ by James Brown, sending the Arts centre bouncing and everyone singing along
After the gig I was lucky enough to chat to Matt and Liam from the band and the guys were so great, true funk legends in the making, I really can’t wait to see what this band does next and I would really recommend seeing them live for a funk filled evening of fun. One thing’s for certain, The High Points truly are the funkiest boys in town.
