Nev Craggs has been putting bands on at The Fleece for a
couple of years now. A proper friendly, traditional pub with a decent back room
for bands. Their biggest claim to fame (to date) is having The Sherlocks play
Fleecestonbury Festival in March ’16. We know how big they've become recently. Lighting
and sound provided by Steve Williams (of Willowman Festival) means that when
Benson start their set tonight you’re not going to be complaining about either
of those. In fact once Benson strike a note you know you’ll have nothing to
complain about at all. Opening song ‘Hopes Up’ hooks you right in with its
infectious beat, catchy guitar and deep bass. But then the sax and trumpet
section opens up and suddenly Benson have changed into something much more than
an indie rock band. Try to imagine tuneful punk, infectious ska beats, a slab
of soul then throw in the very best of Dexys brass (think ‘There There My Dear’,
‘Seven Days Too Long’) mix it all up, put the volume on ten and you’ll just
about be there. And it’s not just the one song. The 12 songs that make up
tonight’s set keep us right there in the moment. The ceiling is a bit low for
jumping around but there isn’t a still foot in the place. Benson are a band
that enjoy themselves. Joe Sefton and Stash – the brass – constantly moving, guitarist
Danny Sharp throwing out those catchy riffs with a constant smile on his face,
Adrian Hand (bass) and Marc Miles (drums) holding it all together while
vocalist Jordan Clark sings not about trivial matters but about real life –
such good tunes shouldn’t work when divorce is the topic but they do. This band
need a bigger stage where they can really move.
Before the second song has finished I’ve sent a message that
simply says ‘Get them signed up for Willowman’ I’m so impressed. Benson would
fit in perfectly.
Not punk, not ska, not soul. Benson are all of these rolled
into one and all the better for it.
Small apology for quality of photos. All taken with my
phone. Next time I’ll have my proper camera with me.
Benson - Facebook.
Benson - Website.
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