Into The Ark @ The Garage London
Hi guys,
Has it really been over 5 months since my last concert and last concert review... well we're here to change that! A few months ago, I wrote about a band that was definitely going to be one to watch in the future and I was lucky enough to see them last night at The Garage in London. Into The Ark (Taylor Jones and Dane Lloyd) are a two piece band from Wales who came 2nd on the last series of The Voice under the guidance of Tom Jones.
The Garage is a really odd venue because it's in the middle of a busy high street and the stairs leading up to one of the rooms is a bit too much like an Alice in Wonderland themed building that messed with my head. But, once I got inside, it was really nice and small! For an old lady like me, that was perfect because there wasn't any pushing and shoving and there was a nice ledge for me to put my things. But, if I was to critique something: Fix the bloody lighting!
We got there really early but luckily they let us in early so we just chilled in the venue for an hour. About 45 minutes before the show, who came out? Dane and then, 15 minutes later, Taylor came out! It was pretty bizarre because they literally just came out and started talking to fans in such a calm and relaxed environment. There was none of that annoying security shit and they genuinely seemed pleased to meet everyone and willing to talk to them about their day and get photos *inserts cringy pictures with bad lighting*
Onto the main attraction of the night: INTO THE ARK! I took a friend who hadn't really heard about the guys before and she summed it up: they are amazing singers and performers. The setlist was a perfect combination of originals that a few people knew and covers that everyone knew, from Blondie to Elvis and Drake! They literally put blood, sweat and tears into their performances because, by song 2, Taylor already needed a towel to wipe up that sweat! It paid off because, even though the venue was small, the atmosphere was electric!
Like their performances on The Voice, the harmonies really set this duo apart from a lot of the bands nowadays. Taylor was strutting across the stage like the rockstar he is and Dane was just so pure behind his guitar with his sweet and angelic voice that perfectly blended with Taylor's and stood out on it's own! I think that's one thing that bands struggle to get right: the ability to use all the members vocals and make use of them in the right way. It didn't feel as if they were fighting for the spotlight but bouncing off each other for support and energy! With originals like Underneath the Sun and Right Track, this was key to get the most out of the songs and the audience.
They were also just really funny guys! It doesn't matter how amazing you are at singing, if you're dry and have no personality then you'll lost the crowd the minute you stop singing! Dane and Taylor knew how to keep a crowd excited with their talk about little doggies and writing songs in their pants *swoons*. I have always been a sucker for the Welsh accent and that just made spoken segments even better because their voices were just magical, they always say that Welsh voices are like songs!
Finishing the set with Brightest Creatures, Taylor took the leap off the stage and started singing in the middle of the crowd. I mean come on, what band does that? Too many care about getting mobbed or safety but Taylor threw caution to the wind and just performed like his life counted on it: no security or fear, just him and the audience! They ended the night on a high and even came back out to meet everyone *I had to leave because of travelling back* but that's what I want to see more of. Artists really appreciating their fans and meeting them no matter what, for no extra cost and no special treatment!
Into The Ark are definitely a breath of fresh air and I had such an amazing time - I really recommend this band and can't wait to see where they go from here!
Until next time my musical chums,
That's it for this week,
Bye for Now
xx
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