Arriving at Shoreditch’s Rich Mix for Get Involved’s
Charabang Launch party, I was met with the unfortunate news that the breakdancing
magician had to pull out.
That should give you an impression of the eclectic mix of
new talent on show at the first Get Involved Charabang last Wednesday night. Magical
Bones’ exclusion was a shame, and judging from
his YouTube channel it’s a sight
to behold, but the night showcased some of the best rising London acts around.
First to the stage was
Arthur Lea, who channels the rootsy
upbeat New Orleans Jazz of Dr. John with remarkable Jazz piano chops.
Lea’s got that Delta spirit running through him, rooted in offbeat, bouncy riffs – but his
lyrics tell his own story, covering topics from dealing with loneliness to
wanting to be a superhero; the latter with audience-participatory zoom! and pow! sound effects. Check out 'Make Do' below.
Next up was the frankly unbelievable beatbox wizard
ReepsOne. Reeps is a force of nature, and is able to exploit his vocal chords into
producing an unstoppable frenzy of electronic music. He mentions onstage that occasionally
he’s hired to play two-hour DJ sets armed with nothing but a mic and PA system,
and you can believe it. Close your eyes, and you could be listening to some
actually quite brilliant Dubstep, Electro and Drum & Bass.
That’s the most impressive thing – Reeps doesn’t just
produce impressive sound effects and sit back for the applause, but moulds and
layers them into music you would actually listen to. As he puts it, it’s not
replication – it’s creation.
And in true variety show style, we go from the basements of 2010s London to the glamorous Boogie Woogie of 1940s Hollywood
with self-proclaimed ‘vintage girl band’ the
Tootsie Rollers. The Tootsies stormed
through a dazzling setlist of contemporary classics, authentic 40s numbers and
an original track that shows they’re past imitation – these girls are the real
deal.
Rounding off the night were
The Royal Organ Duo. The South
East London natives play like Booker T & The MGs and banter like Chas n’
Dave; and use instantly recognisable pop classics as a platform to launch into
all kinds of knockout jazz improv. Respective masters of organ and drums, the
Royal Organ Duo don’t play covers as such – they take just enough elements of
those songs we all know, from Jessie J to Led Zeppelin, and spin off into
inspired and unexpected places. If you’ve never heard a lounge jazz play on
Stairway to Heaven – now’s your chance.
Apparently groundbreaking Italian producer Giorgio Moroder entered the collective consciousness of a new generation this week with the release of Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories'.
