December 5, 2008
Loose Grip’s first support band for the evening set a high benchmark with the sort of attitude-saturated pop sadly lacking from today’s charts. Driven by an accomplished bass player, a suitably intense drummer, some truly joyous keyboard melodies, and raw yet sensual vocals, Baby Gravy punctured the Cellar’s cold empty bubble. Unfortunately, the second support act failed to maintain the standard of their predecessors with some low quality electric percussion which, as one nearby listener observed, could easily be replicated using the demo setting of the Roland equipment these two musicians were beating.
As the evening neared to an end, Loose Grip arrived onstage and provided the sort of high energy grooves their fans have came to expect from them. Still, as they delivered their intoxicating mix of old fashioned harmonies and contemporary hip hop overtones it became clear that something was lacking:
Separately, each aspect of Loose Grip’s repertoire is faultless—a medley of funk fuelled bass grooves, rich saxophone tones, bold lead vocals, and smooth yet brazen female vocals—but the sum of its parts, though good fun, seemed bereft of true substance. The crowd weren’t there for substance though; the crowd wanted a good time, and Loose Grip provided.
As the evening neared to an end, Loose Grip arrived onstage and provided the sort of high energy grooves their fans have came to expect from them. Still, as they delivered their intoxicating mix of old fashioned harmonies and contemporary hip hop overtones it became clear that something was lacking:
Separately, each aspect of Loose Grip’s repertoire is faultless—a medley of funk fuelled bass grooves, rich saxophone tones, bold lead vocals, and smooth yet brazen female vocals—but the sum of its parts, though good fun, seemed bereft of true substance. The crowd weren’t there for substance though; the crowd wanted a good time, and Loose Grip provided.