Miscellaneous - Brickmakers, Norwich, 22/3/20095

  by Alex Halls

published: 19 / 3 / 2005

intro

Yankee Nine Niner have been described as being a mixture of Guns ‘n’ Roses and Steve Tyler from Aerosmith, and also draw comparisions with AC/DC. Alex Halls watches them play an exhilarating set at the Norwich Brickmakers

Billed as a mixture of Guns ‘n’ Roses and Steve Tyler from Aerosmith, Yankee Nine Niner indeed fit this description and one is tempted to add AC/DC to that illustrious list. It is about time someone put these together seriously. Sounding little like the Darkness as the style may have otherwise suggested, and carrying a good deal more credibility too, the five-piece; Henry Rundell (lead vocals); Neil Gevaux (bass); Camilla Jurasek (guitars and vocals); Thomas Farrelly (drums); Mark Ball (guitar); opened in inspired fashion, a refreshing start that introduced itself well to a reasonably sized, warm, receptive Brickmakers crowd. Both lively and funky at times, Yankee Nine Niner look and sound the part , through a strong confident lead vocal, excellent background guitaring, and blended female vocals which give an end result of good, old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. Rundell made good use of the small stage during the evening, dramatising the performance as any passionate musician should, whilst pumping out his sometimes raucous, sometimes wailing, but perfectly tuneful voice into the pub venue. Add to that the strong riffs and catchy choruses and one sensed it was all about the songwriting, yet the entertainment remained strong throughout the concert. Devotion had been given to the music and came through in a magnificent short solo in 'Oh Yeah' as well as longer solos later on during the show that were reminiscent of those present in classic rock. The dynamic change between each segment within Yankee Nine Niner’s songs was far from convoluted, which was a testament to the band’s abilities; refraining from letting the music become too intricate but remaining complex enough to keep an audience enthralled. Yankee Nine Niner’s performance was thoroughly enjoyable and the band had attracted a fervent following whose incessant push for an encore was realized with one further agreeable song. With a two-track promo currently available and a full-length album imminent, the band provided plenty to support why their management company, Animal Nightlife, snapped them up so quickly. Yankee Nine Niner has quite a fan base already: the Brickmakers tonight knew why. The photographs that accompany this article were taken by Ania Koziello-Doherty

Picture Gallery:-