Band: Scholars
Venue: The Cavern, Exeter
Date: 31st May 2011
Nearing the end of their colossal UK tour, alt rockers Scholars hit Exeter Cavern with their quirky keyboards and crazy antics. Originating from Hemel Hempstead, the five-piece mix the beautifully ranged vocals with wacky keys and some heavier riffs – a perfect concoction for a good night!
It was the first time I’d seen Scholars live, and I was looking quite forward to it after listening to some of their music online. I’d also been watching some of their video blogs following them on tour, and they are honestly hilarious. Eating strange beef/chocolate combo pizzas, causing havoc in the tour van and mojo wipes are just the start of it. Instantly, I knew the guys would have a great vibe on stage, and as soon as they started I was blown off my feet.
All five of them were squished on the tiny stage at The Cavern, but with them all jumping around and shouting into the microphones, it worked really well. Vocals shot from all directions, as lead vocalist Sam Nicholls was joined by backing from the rest of the team. Within minutes, he was off the stage and rummaging around the crowd, singing right into their faces and jumping about with them. The audience clearly loved it, not stopping for a single second to take a breather. Sam really seemed to connect with the crowd pretty much straight away. It’s something that a lot of bands seem to forget about now. There’s the generic “hey, this show’s amazing guys” where the band tries to make a connection with everyone, but don’t really reach out. But Scholars showed their love crystal clearly. Although it wasn’t a packed out show, the people that did make it were absolutely mental – something that as a band must be so rewarding.
The main thing I loved about this band was the pure energy than ran off the stage whilst they were playing. It wasn’t just for one or two songs, the whole set was pumped and ready for action. Even their lyrics were crazy, ranting about standing in a bus stop in your pyjamas. Towards the end of their set, they’d planned a fake fight on stage which really added a humour factor, showing that yeah these guys are mega serious about what they do, but they like to have fun with it. That’s the best bit right? It definitely made them stand out in my eyes.
Everything about this show was lovely. The shining vocals from Sam soared, hitting every high and adding that little bit of roughness when needed. New member of the band Cal Owen (bass) fitted in perfectly, screaming along throughout. They are so worth a listen if you haven’t heard them before. The lads are so nice and they all put in tremendous effort. Keep it up boys, it really shows!
Reviewer: Jasmine Sevette
