The Upper Room

I’m still sweating over the footie and the lack of coverage, although I loiter near to someone with a radio and strain to hear broken coverage while feeling assured groans or cheers will herald any goal action.

Meanwhile The Upper Room saunter on stage, they look indistinctive from any one of hundreds of bands around at the moment and sound no different either. They are drums and bassline with jangly guitars and a fairly bland vocal for first tune ‘Combination’. It’s pretty mediocre and much the same as all those hundreds of bands and I have no idea why they are flavour of the month. Or possibly the organisers could only get them to play during the football.

Speaking of which after being happy to see Suzanne Vega the act on before The Upper Room I’m now gutted I’m not quaffing a beer watching England in the World Cup. The band introduce their first single ‘All Over This Town’ and it’s well received by the two rows of fans at the front. ‘Portrait’ sounds no different it’s only the fact they stopped for a ripple of applause I realise they’re actually now delivering it from the huge stage. Looking out most are prone enjoying the sun and at least the beat has improved and it’s got a bit of bounce to it.

Next up the guys rip off a cover of U2’s ‘I Will Follow’ but as though The Edge hadn’t turned up! Truly woeful. Vocal is good, drums okay but the guitarist seriously lets the side down and I’m hoping the band stop soon. But then they play ‘Black and White’ and it’s pulled them out of the mire slightly. It’s the strongest number of their set and shows possibly they could develop a maturity. But they haven’t yet and why they were on such a big stage instead of playing local pubs is beyond me.

All in all pretty uninspiring and unless they manage to develop something distinct they’re destined to return to obscurity.

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