BROKEN WITT REBELS, SUNFLOWER LOUNGE, BIRMINGHAM, 15TH APRIL (LIVE)
- Apr 20, 2016
- 3 min read
Let’s be honest Twitter binges are the bane of millennial stereotyping, we’re constantly reminded of the fact our heads are buried into phones rather than soaking up all the world has to offer. They can, however, lead us to discover wonders that couldn’t be found by simply lifting our heads and taking a deep breath. We reaped the rewards of a good twitter binge when we came across Broken Witt Rebels, a Birmingham based quartet who put the soul back into the UK’s live rock scene. We were due to see Wolfmother on Saturday at the O2 in Brum and decided to check out what the local small rock venues had to offer on Friday night. This Feeling was hosting a night of Rock, Roll and unsigned live bands at the Sunflower Lounge and with Broken Witt Rebels on the bill it was no brainer really!
We managed to get to the venue just as they graced the stage of the intimate venue, the place was absolutely rammed we could barely squeeze through the door and too the bar. Despite being in their hometown the band seems to have built quite a loyal following already and you can see why, their music is infectious. They resemble a fresh faced, passionate and raw Kings of Leon, heavily down to the lead singer’s incredible growling vocals. There is far more to band then first meets the eye though so refrain from making premature assumptions. The depth of the sound is impressive to say the least, they mirror the contrast between mellow soulful blues in songs like ‘Bottom of the Hill’ and the gritty heavy riffs heard on ‘Howlin’ in harmonious fashion. For an unsigned band the complexity and raw emotion is unique, you rarely spot a hidden treasure like this on the underground circuit in the UK. From the core of bass and percussion the band have a primal wood groove that chisels its way through to your spine, you can’t help but feel. The emotive presence of their sound is only further evoked through vocals and guitar that both seem to weave in and out of one another throughout the tracks. We feel the lead guitar is the unsung hero in this setup, while many will stand stunned at the sheer brilliance of the bands vocals the ebb and flow of the guitar is the powerhouse underneath that sets the scene and determines the mood. A modern day and watered down Hendrix with the intertwining chords and vintage blues fills, directional impulse is key and although you can predict what’s coming next it still shocks you to the core when you hear it. With a wide portfolio of piercing solos, thunderous riffs, catchy fills and soulful execution we can safely say we were stunned by what we heard.
The Broken Witt Rebels are on the right trajectory at the moment and who knows how far they can go, we’re not going to sit here and blow them up to unprecedented heights but they are more than capable of achieving their deserved recognition. Whether people will be able to look past their similarity with Kings of Leon is another matter, we would hope that people aren’t this narrow minded though, these lads are extremely talented musicians. They have just released their brand new EP ‘Georgia Pine’ which is packed full of all the above, so go and check out their site http://www.brokenwittrebels.com/ grab yourself a copy of the EP and support this band! We would also highly recommend you go and see them live, the whole experience was incredible. Who doesn’t love a good night of undiscovered live Rock talent! We met a few of the band members after to congratulate them on their set and despite being pestered by pretty much every person in the bar that night they seemed like genuine lads humbled by the praise. So keep at it BWR you’re killing it! Check out their video for ‘Low’ above one of the tracks from their NEW EP.
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