Neon Waltz at Camden Assembly

In what was once called The Barfly, the six-piece indie band from the far reaches of north Scotland, Neon Waltz, couldn’t have chosen to plug in their instruments and settle their beers in a more suitable venue – Camden Assembly is noteable for hosting new alternative music. Once the smoke machine rested, music lovers stood in endearing anticipation of finally experiencing the harmonious talent teeming from these rising stars.

Dressed humbly, Neon Waltz jumped on stage and wasted no time in beginning their set with their 2016 debut single Dreamers. The potent drumming determined the night’s unexpected titanic volume, pleasantly overbearing the vocals and complementing a heavier style not yet heard in their studio recordings. Jordan Shearer, the lead singer, encouraged the somewhat stunned audience to shuffle nearer to the stage, building intimacy with the charm of his Scottish accent and drawing his fans closer to the group’s raw sound.

The evidence of the John O’Groats-based musicians’ tight melodic flair compelled the crowd to sway along with the twang of the two guitarists and the grandiose sounds of the organist. Once the soft euphonic beginning to Sundail, featured on their 2015 EP First Light, erupted, an ambience akin to The Corals resonated and no doubt showed the origin of their influences. The band’s consistency verified their indie prowess, far beyond the realm of 2007’s scene into a pioneering intonation boasting their unique turn on history’s favourites.

By I Fall Asleep, the drumming had finally lulled, becoming almost non-existent, while an electric acoustic guitar was picked up and strummed along with Shearer’s impressive vocal range, triumphing studio versions once again. For their recent single, Heavy Heartless, Neon Waltz brimmed every moment with an extremity of passion and voracious peddle-tapping, underpinning a subtle taste for psychedelic rock. As the audience sang along, both guitarist and bassist swung around, lifting their mop hair-dos while Shearer leaned all the more closer to the microphone, eyes shut and fully engaged.

Neon Waltz proved their virtuosity to their fans, providing a fresh dramatic palette of authenticity and skills unwitnessed in their studio recordings – an oomph to jet-start their highly deserved claim to fame. Within the 45-minute set, the band successfully verified the reasons of how and why they have intrigued The Stands’ ex-singer-songwriter Howie Payne, who manages them.

Shoka Shohani
Photos: Ben Achana

For further information about Neon Waltz and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Heavy Heartless here: