Oxjam Gig Review – Coleg Sir Gar – 11/12/13

By Barry Bungalow

The Oxjam gig was held in Coleg Sir Gar and was set up and run by the students, with lighting from the production arts students, and fellow student musicians playing, as part of their coursework, with the added bonus of raising money for Oxfam. There was a slow start to the gig due to equipment problems – too many cooks, or should I say, too many students behind the PA – but once the minor hitches were sorted, the day ran smoothly, starting with –

Jamie Hernandez

Although this is not really my preferred style of music, the House and Dutch DJ were a good way to start the event. An energetic performance that under the right circumstances would get the crowd up and dancing, but due to it still being morning, the crowd took advantage of the seating provided. As stated, not this reviewers choice of music, but I could tell the tunes he was playing were well arranged, mixed well, and his set ran smoothly.

Ben Manning

An acoustic set played in a Classical / Flamenco style, that helped bring a bit of atmosphere to the room. Well played, and very technical to boot. Although there weren’t any vocals to this set, it didn’t matter because the way he played his guitar spoke volumes.

Three Musky Queers

A 3-piece pop punk band with an incredibly awesome sound. No vocalist for the first song, but with the sound they produced, it wasn’t really needed. They were joined by a vocalist for the rest of their set that helped bring their sound together. With an added treat for this reviewer, a cover with Death Metal vocals.

Josh and the Receding Hairlines

A 4-peiceHeavy Metal band, which covered some of my favourite songs of all time, as well as throwing in a Death Metal cover as well. They played with excellent stage presence, and entertained the crowd, involving the crowd in the chorus of some of their songs.

Kyle Roberts

Another acoustic set, this time with vocals,that brought the feeling of the room and crowd back down to earth a little after such a heavy set. Great guitar playing and an amazing voice to go with it. Covering not only acoustic songs, but heavier songs as well, bringing an unplugged feel to the room.

Iwan Lewis

One guy, one electric guitar. Played amazingly with plenty of covers, that got an energetic feel into the crowd after the last act, bringing the room up a little with Rock n Roll. A fantastic sound that wasn’t diminished with a lack of a band, or even a backing track.

Coleg Jazz

Starting off with a 7-piece band, which changed members between songs to showcase as many musicians as they could Coleg Jazz brought a completely different feel to the room, than anything that has been played that day. With their funky sound, it was a treat and a surprise to hear how well they played together, and still managed to play a highly energetic and entertaining set.

Joshua Eberlein & Dave Marvelly

A guitar solo section with backing from the bass guitar, that complimented each other perfectly. It brought a sad feeling to the room, in what can only be described as a bluesy shred battle between the musicians. It was less energetic than the other acts, but still a pleasure to hear with their skill and talent.

Shannon Collins & Lauren Williams (w/ Ben Jeffries & Jack Morgan)

2 female singers, a bongo and an acoustic guitar. The singers complimented each other, and the backing music fitted the styles of the singers perfectly. While the singers did sing on their own occasionally, which in themselves were amazing, there is no doubt about the quality of the songs they played together.

Sean Young

Another DJ, this time Drum & Bass. This DJ played with a more bass that could be felt in your stomach, and the feel of this got people within the room up and bouncing. Again, the whole set was seamless, with a wide range of tracks being covered, a few of which even I recognised from somewhere.

Jamie Hernandez

Back to the opening act to close the show. I have nothing more to say than what I’ve previously said about this DJ. Another seamless performance, which seemed to be cut short as they ran out of time.

Overall, it was an amazing 4 hours of live music, each of it varied giving it an exciting feel to what was coming next, with any and all of the acts having the ability to draw a crowd. Unfortunately the gig was arranged and performed during college hours, and students were encouraged to support the acts while they were on break, on lunch, or if they just had free time, so there was never a full crowd, but the room was never empty either, with a decent number of people to support the acts and raise some money. If you have the opportunity to see any of the acts who I have mentioned above, it is worth checking them out.