Kekoas Korner has been on a winter break for a while but now I’ve got a real treat for you guys. Dermot Kennedy is an Irish singer songwriter who is coming to Papiersaal in Zurich on Jan, 31st. The show is already sold out so congrats to the lucky ones who scored some tix. If you didn’t Just Because are giving 2×2 tix on their website.
Dermot Kennedy has been busking on the streets of Dublin for years. Glen Hansard another Irish singer songwriter organises the annual Christmas Eve Busking Event. Musicians can take their guitar and play along big names such as Bono from U2, The Coronas or The Script. It’s gotten bigger and bigger over the years but this is how Dermot Kennedy met Glen Hansard – his idol and inspiration – for the first time. Years later Glen invited Dermot to join him on stage and in this video you can see the result:
Last year he went on tour in America and Europe where the shows were mostly sold out. He also supported Glen Hansard and Lana del Rey on their tours but not only that Taylor Swift recommended him on her Spotify playlist available to her fans. So he’s already gotten big names to support him. All of this sounds really promising, doesn’t it?
Kekoas Korner agrees with them. Dermot Kennedy has a beautiful unique voice with just a little rasp. If you hear him on the radio you gonna know it’s him. In addition to his voice he has beautiful songs with meaningful lyrics. His newest single is called “Moments Passed” and premiered on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show which has to be a huge honour. But have a listen for yourself:
I personally love it. It reminds me a bit of Jacob Banks and Tom Grennan. I cannot wait to see him live and get to know a little of his personality. Since Dermot Kennedy is Irish I bet he is quite funny and good craic. That little green island has so much talent! As you know I am a huge fan of Irish musicians so stay tuned to Kekoas Korner to read about the gig on Jan, 31st!
Check out Dermot Kennedy’s website: http://www.dermotkennedymusic.com
This is most difficult task I’ve ever had to do for this blog. I cannot choose my highlights! I loved each and every gig I attended this year. So many special moments I witnessed thanks to incredible artists who gave 100% to their audience. So I will try to name a few gigs and I will let you know why they were special to me. I apologize already since this blog post will probably the longest I’ve ever done.
My gig highlight of the year: Marteria
I saw him twice – at Gurtenfestival and at his headline show in Zurich. Both times he completely took over the whole venue and the people were at his command. The atmosphere was incredible and the energy blew the roof of the building. But my fondest memory is actually the morning after the Gurten gig. We literally stayed awake until the clouds were purple again which is one of Marteria’s songs “Lila Wolken”. It was the perfect ending to a very special four days at the Gurtenfestival.
The most special venue: P!nk
When it was announced that P!nk would only play 5 odd shows this summer I knew I had to go to Berlin to see her. I’ve never been to Berlin so it was even more special. I love the city and I loved the two gigs at the Waldbühne. A stage set into midst of a very green forrest just outside the city. It was raining a lot but that didn’t matter. Finally after years I saw my P!nk again. I grew up with her and her gigs and it will forever remind me of my childhood. It was just perfect.
My first interview: Naturally 7
I’ve always been a huge fan of the 7 lads from America but this summer they actually made a huge accomplishment possible. They agreed to give me my first interview for Kekoas Korner after their wonderful gig at the Live at Sunset the day before. I will always be very grateful for that and will support them forever. Their shows are brilliant and I would suggest if you haven’t seen them – go see them!!! It’s well worth your money plus they really make an effort to meet the fans after the show. Go say hello.
My first time as a Merch Seller: Welshly Arms
The guys from Welshly Arms were looking for a volunteer to sell their merchandising. Obviously I took that opportunity 🙂 Let me just say each and everyone of them were super nice and very grateful that I helped them. I was happy to help plus I got to witness an amazing gig! Being a Merch girl is great and I loved to talk to all the fans about the band. I also got to interview the guys from Welshly Arms before their show.
The best entertainer EVER: Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams is hands down the best entertainer and knows how to put up a good show. He rocked the Letzigrund for around two hours and blew fireworks and confetti and fire into the air like there was no tomorrow. He also brought out his dad which gave the show a very cute touch. Only recently it was brought to our attention that Robbie Williams actually was quite sick during that performance after which he flew directly to London into the intensive care unit for a week. It was actually a miracle that he performed that night! Thank you for that but please next time listen to your body Mr. Williams and cancel the show.
The longest show with the most stars: Capital’s Summertime Ball
We spent 7 hours at the Wembley stadium in London and got to see so many stars. Bruno Mars opened the show. JP Cooper, Niall Horan, Charlie Puth, Dua Lipa, Clean bandit and this is just the beginning. My highlight was that I finally got to see Sean Paul live. He did an amazing job and since he was quite close to the end he took my last energy so that I was seriously knackered and couldn’t enjoy Little Mix who closed the show.
The hottest gig: Pegasus
It was July and it was boiling hot. The Pegasus gig was at 8 IN THE MORNING on a ferry on lake Zurich. It was the perfect weather and the perfect gig. Pegasus are a super talented band from Switzerland and everyone just had a good time and by the time it finished we were already sweating.
The most colourful gig: Coldplay
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It took me years to like Coldplay and to make me want to see them. This summer I suddenly felt the urge so within two weeks I organised a little trip to go to Frankfurt and see them. The weather was awful but the gig was great! Tove Lo and Femme Schmidt supported them. But what I liked the most were the colours. I have never seen such a colourful concert and what I also loved was how appreciative the band was.
The best rock gig: Stone Sour
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That’s a hard one. I really loved Guns ‘N Roses and you know they are just legendary! Mando Diao were incredible to see live and I want to see them soon again! But I think I will give this one to Stone Sour because they seriously f*****g rocked and Corey Taylor has an amazing voice aaaand he looks gorgeous! 😀
The most special voices: Tom Grennan
This one was also very close. Jacob Banks and Tom Grennan went head-to-head. Both have super special voices which give me goosebumps and both are very very talented. But Tom Grennan got the call because he seemed more open to his fans and made the effort to meet each and everyone. This is what I want to see in an aspiring artist.
Best Newcomer 2017: KARAVANN
I got to meet the two lovely lads from KARAVANN for an interview before I even seen them live. They seem really serious about their venture and I have a good feeling about their journey. In August I finally got to see them live and believe me they didn’t disappoint. They have an incredibly international sound and they make sure that you have a good time at the gig. Please check them out and go say hi after the gig 🙂
The worst gig EVER: Kings of Leon
I didn’t think I would ever say this but unfortunately I had to witness the worst show ever from Kings of Leon. They didn’t want to be on stage, they didn’t know where they were and they played songs no-one wanted to hear. For an hour you could hear a pin drop in the Hallenstadion and everyone was quite baffled at how bad they were. Since I paid a lot of money to see them it was even worse. So two big thumbs down for you guys!
The most relaxing gig: Anastacia and Baschi at Bossard Arena
The people were super relaxed and to be honest the arena was quite empty. Nonetheless did we have a brilliant time! Anastacia was amazing and she is just a force on stage. Baschi is our Swiss Robbie Williams and entertained the sh*t out of the Arena. So I had space to dance, I knew the songs, I had an amazing time! 🙂
The Scandinavian gigs: Lukas Graham & Mans Zelmerlöw
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I got to see the sound check of Lukas Graham and we spoke a little afterwards. Super lovely lads and just very talented and grateful to travel the world with their music. I’ve seen them twice already and they’ve done a brill job both times. Mans Zelmerlöw won the ESC and came to Switzerland twice already. Always very special gigs!
Kekoas Korner’s soft spot: Gavin DeGraw
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I literally grew up with his music. His song “I don’t want to be” is my hymn for anything. When I listen to the song I always have to sing out loud. He is an incredible musician and I am so glad that I was always able to meet him after the show. He is so nice. If you have the chance please listen to this guy.
The Irish frenzy: Walking on Cars, The Coronas, Tom Walker
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As you might know I go a little crazy for Irish bands.. 😉 The lovely Walking on Cars came to Switzerland 4 times this year and I saw 3 of them. Zurich, Lausanne and Lucerne. Each gig was different and I just love their music! They were supported by Tom Walker. Another Irish lad who’s very talented and is coming to Switzerland on 20th April 18. Go check him out! Lastly I got to interviewthe Coronas in October and the lovely Danny gave me some tips for my trip to Dublin.
The good times with Bastille
Bastille always make sure that everyone has an amazing time. We jump, we kinda dance, we sing. They are an incredible live band and unfortunately I won’t be seeing them next year on April, 20th 18. But please go and let me know how it was. The very talented brits are coming back with their newest record and I’m very much looking forward to see them some other time…. maybe at a festival again.
Best Merchandising Top 5:
1. Welshly Arms – This has to be number 1 since I sold their merch and I proudly did so because they really were amazing. I love the designs of the T-Shirts and the Jackets. They also had Vinyls and hats too. I still wear their stuff every other day.
2. Guns N’Roses – The designs of the shirts are amazing and I nearly got two shirts.
3. Ed Sheeran – He had a various range of Merch. I really loved the Army Jacket and the lumber jack shirt. The jacket was one of my favourite this summer.
4. Stone Sour – Lots of nice designs on T-Shirts plus signed Vinyls.
5. Amber Run – I loved the lion on their shirt and I still regret that I didn’t buy that shirt. Jacob Banks came really close to making it into the Top 5. He was selling a shirt where it said in this is merchandising and below Jacob Banks. I thought this was hilarious and I was this close to buying it.
All those gigs wouldn’t have been possible without the help of ARTNOIR magazine, Just Because, Mainland Music, ABC production and Goodnews. Thank you for supporting Kekoas Korner!
Lastly I want to thank all my concert buddies for joining me at various gig and for having as much fun as I did! <3
I cannot wait for all the gigs in 2018! So bring on the new year 🙂
I’d love to know what your concert highlights 2017 are. Please leave a comment below or on Kekoas Korner social media channels Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Just Because brought Tom Grennan to Papiersaal. He’s one very talented singer songwriter from the UK and will be huge next year I guarantee you that. Grennan is one the BBC sound of 17 list and will release his first album Lighting Matches on 9th March 2018. All of this made me really excited to see him live for the first time.
Josh a Swiss band opened up for Tom Grennan and they were really very cute and the two girls had both great voices. They talked around a little technical problem easily even if they were nervous. Wonderful job 🙂
Finally at 9 Tom Grennan and his band took the stage and they started with a bang. First song was his most famous so far and an uptempo song called “Found what I’ve been looking for”. The atmosphere was brilliant and everyone clapped, danced and sang along. I love artists who sing their biggest hits at the beginning! It really gets the crowd going and it’s the perfect set up for the rest of the night. Next was “Make ’em like you” and Tom Grennan said it’s pretty easy so sing along and we did. Another brilliant song from the upcoming record. The title track “Lighting Matches” followed.
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Tom said that he was really lucky this year and he is incredibly grateful and happy to end his tour in Zurich tonight. Coming to another country and people coming out to see you is just brilliant so here comes the next song called “Lucky Ones”. During “Aboard” I started to think… Who does Tom Grennan remind me of?? And there it was! He looks and talks just like Cook from an English TV Series called Skins!! I had to smile a little and enjoyed the next song “Giving it All”. I think “Barbed Wire” will be one of my favourites from the new record. It has that kinda feel good vibe topped off with Tom’s incredible raspy voice.
Tom Grennan asked us now if Chase & Status were big in Switzerland I replied “No, not really” and shook my head. He said “Good, no I’m joking. Check them out they’re really good”. So the 4 musicians and him played the Chase & Status track “All goes Wrong” where he lent them his voice. It is also the single which got him his first charting single. The band started a reggae beat and we had to sing “Um a Um a Um a yeah”. It sounded very very good and Tom seemed to be satisfied too so he sang “Praying” with a Swiss backing choir. He said: “Normally I go off stage now and you make me feel incredibly good about myself but today I feel the vibe so I stay on and play three more songs for you”.
For “Old Songs” it was just Tom Grennan and his guitar on stage and WOW just wow. His voice, the guitar and the lyrics are incredibly sophisticated! His very released single “Royal Highness” was a little more upbeat again and the band came back on stage. People were dancing and just had a good time! Tom made sure of that with little stories in-between songs and a great setlist. So the next song was the intended last song but my concert buddy said very disappointingly “What about “Patience”?” and Tom Grennan seemed to have heard that and said “We might play it later!”. So “Something in the Water” was the last song and the crowd was feeling the groove. When it finished he said:
I’ll be back definitely back I promise you that. Grennan’s coming for ya!
Then he remembered what he promised my friend. So he stepped into the audience and sang “Patience” with people from the left and right side standing on stage. It was an incredible moment and why I love small concerts. In addition to these special moments you get to meet the artist after the gig most of the times. Today was no exception and let me tell you he is a very lovely down-to-earth lad from Bedford and as he said Grennan’s coming for ya next year so watch out! Have you been to one of his gigs? Share your story in the comment section below or on Kekoas Korner’s social media accounts Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Just Because brought the brilliant Jake Isaac back to Papiersaal on Sunday night. Around 200 people mostly female spent their evening with this talented musician and his band. To be honest with you I didn’t know many songs but it turned out to be an energetic gig nevertheless.
At 8 o’clock the support called These Your Children took the stage. The duo Joe and Beka were supported by a young drummer. The trio started their set with “Get up & go” and “Sing for you”. The next song “David” is a very sad ballade with an emotional topic. And then they asked us if it was okay if they covered a song. They came down to the audience and played a lovely acoustic version of Whitney Houston’s “Dance with Somebody”. “Set a fire” and “Real Love” are two very cool uptempo tracks and they made everyone dance and even sing! So all in all this was one of the best support acts I’ve seen this year!
Around 9 Jake Isaac came on stage with a huge smile and played “Lonely are the brave”. He was supported by three other musicians who had a good time as well. The four of them immediately transported a very welcoming good vibe. After the song Jake said that he had four rules and everyone got serious. He laughed and said don’t worry it’s not that serious. So here are Jake’s four rules for his audience:
Have fun
Dance even if you can’t dance!
Sing even if you don’t know the lyrics
Most importantly: HAVE FUN! 🙂
After a huge laugh he started “Fool for you” and everyone clapped along. “One and Only” made me want to dance and if I didn’t have super sore muscles from the Marteria gig the day before I would have danced way more. I also looked around the audience and everyone really seemed to have fun which was wonderful to see. Next it was time to sing! During “Home” we were the backing choir and it sounded brilliantly. When he finished he had his thinking cap on and then suddenly decided to skip a song and go straight to “Still”. He told the musicians and they easily adapted. It really was lovely to see how much fun they had playing their musicians and performing for us. It felt like we were in their garage listening to friends playing music.
And now the slow part began. “Waiting Here” and “You and I always” are two beautiful ballades where his amazing velvety voice came out in full force. A little bit more uptempo was the next song “Will you be” again. The slow part was over. During “War is our name” we were back singing “Ohhhhh” 🙂 He asked us then:
Do you remember rule No 2?
Someone shouted: Dance! And he said exactly! 🙂 So please feel free to let loose during the next song “I got you” and the people really let loose and danced even more. During the last song “Long Road” Jake Isaac asked his assistant to walk around the audience and the people who were dancing the best got a free record! How cool is that?! But obviously this was done because of the customs restrictions in Switzerland. Bring Merchandising in is impossible for small artists. The costs are just too high so they just don’t take any with them which is a pity! I hope that there will be a solution soon.
Jake Isaac left the stage at 10 o’clock. When he came back he said that there was a 10pm curfew but if he doesn’t get really bad looks from the people in charge he will do one more song. Someone in the audience shouted 5! And he said well let’s do “Lose my Mind” and we’ll see. He sang the song without any microphone and just with his acoustic guitar. It really was a special moment and a wonderful finish to a beautiful gig on a Sunday Night.
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What I love about those small gigs is that you get to talk to the artists afterwards and let me tell you he was super lovely. He gave everyone a hug and apologized for being sweaty. 🙂 He even complimented the three girls in the front row who sang every song. So so nice! TCY was also there to talk to everyone and gave out free hugs 😉 So guys if you haven’t listened to Jake Isaac or These Your Children please do so now. They are great musicians, lovely people and well worth supporting! Enjoyed the gig as much as me? Share your story on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or leave a comment below.
Just Because is bringing two amazing artists to Zurich in December and you can still get tix for both shows. Both musicians are born in England and very talented. In any case if you love amazing music from artists who will make it big one day but are at the start it is well worth to check out other shows of Just Because. They have a talented in booking brill musicians like Jacob Banks or Angus & Julia Stone.
Tom Grennan
Let’s start with Tom Grennan. He made it onto the BBC sound of 17 list which is a huge indicator that he will make it big soon. Previous nominees are Ellie Goulding, Adele, Hurts and the list goes on and on. Tom Grennan already had a hit as the voice of Chase and Status’s song “When it all goes wrong” which was named as the hottest record by Annie Mac. Before that he was busking on the streets of London and now he is working with the producer of Florence & the Machines for his debut record. All of this sounds super promising but as you know I can only judge someone after seeing him live.
Tom Grennan plays the Papiersaal on Dec, 17th and tickets are available on starticket. But of course YouTube allows us to check his music out before the show and boy he sounds really really good and I totally understand why he made the sound of 17 list. But have a listen for yourself:
His voice is amazing, innit? 😉 Tom Grennan has a nice raspy voice and seems very down to earth. And like I already mentioned I think he is a super talented singer songwriter and I am very much looking forward to see him in December.
Jake Isaac
Jake Isaac is playing the Papiersaal on Dec, 10th and tickets are also available on starticket. He’s played Glastonbury and supported Ella Eyre and Paloma Faith. To me that shows he must be very good and it is well worth to spend a few quids on a ticket to his gig. After a few EP’s Jake Isaac released his debut record this May called “Our Lives” and he was signed to a record label called Rocket Records which is owned by the legendary Elton John. But enough about his background, let’s listen to some music:
Jake has a very warm deep voice and I know that I will be clapping my hands a lot. He’s just got that rhythm and soul that I love and he really does remind me a bit of Jacob Banks. Since he has already been on tour I’m expecting a good show and lots of good music.
Sometimes it’s the smaller shows that will be in your mind for quite a long time. Do you know why? Because the musician can actually see the people and even a small conversation can arise. JP Cooper or The Coronas are good examples for that. So if you decide to go to these gigs please let me know and say hi. I’d love to get to know my reader’s opinion 🙂
Amber Run’s first Swiss concert nearly got cancelled because their tour bus broke down in the middle of – I quote – f***ing nowhere in Germany! Just Because informed us via facebook about this and that the show started an hour later. I love the fact that this organiser cares about us fans and is communicating problems early enough so we can adjust. So well done to you Just Because! 🙂
Flyte Pic by Denise Stocker
At 9 the support band Flyte started. Well it wasn’t really a band since only the lead singer/guitarist Will made it to Zurich. His whole band had to stay back because I assume there wasn’t enough room in the 2nd bus. Poor him! Even by himself he did a great job and it was very charming how he explained that he is very nervous since he has never done this before without his band. Someone shouted a request which he fulfilled. It was absolutely adorable. His 20mins set was great and I cannot wait to see them in February.
Pic by Denise Stocker
At 9.30 Amber Run took the stage with “Pilot” and “Spark”. After a few seconds I knew I loved them! 5 musicians giving their best for us. The crowd seemed to enjoy it too so they clapped and wooped loudly. This animated the band even more so they went on with “Insomniac” and “Stranger”. During “Fickle Game” people started singing even louder. I loved their mix between uptempo rock songs and slower songs.
In-between songs Joshua talked to us. It was hilarious! He said that we didn’t know how close they came to cancelling the show because they just couldn’t make it. He was also totally overwhelmed by us singing along since English is not our mother tongue. I have to say I was surprised to how the sold out Papiersaal reacted to Amber Run! “JMS” and “Dark Bloom” were next. One of the highlights of the evening was “Good Morning”. My concert told me it’s perfect for early mornings and she was right! It is a feel good song which makes you dance.
Pic by Denise Stocker
After this amazing song the set went on with “Island” and “5am”. During “Noah” we were asked to be their back up choir and it was just incredibly beautiful. The lads proved again that they can sing in this wonderful ballade called “Wastelands”. We nearly reached the end of the show with “Heaven” as the last song before the break.
Amber Run came back for three encore songs. Joshua explained that a few years ago they didn’t like each other very much and they had problems within the band. So this is what the next song “Haze” is about. It is a beautiful slow song and the harmonies of Joshua, Will and Henry were just perfect and gave me goosebumps. During “I Found” the Swiss audience proved that they know their lyrics and can sing! 🙂 “No Answers” is rock song to head bang to and a brilliant way finish to this 1 hour and 40 mins gig. Their last words were
Thank you very much for coming out to see us! It means the world to us!
Pic by Denise Stocker
I am officially a fan of Flyte and Amber Run and I gotta say their Merchandising is on point! Tonight they play in Basel and later they tour Germany. Click here to see dates and get tickets. Please support these amazing british bands!
All pics were taken by Denise Stocker. Check out her lovely pics on her site. Have you been to one of their shows? Show your love in the comment section below!
A few weeks ago I wrote about their newest albumSnow in my New Music category. So I was quite curious how Angus and Julia Stone sounded live and lucky for me Just Because made it happen. I was quite afraid that I wouldn’t like Julia’s voice since it’s quite mellow and usually I don’t like that kind of voice. Little did I know that I’d be a fan by the end of the night.
Isaac Gracie opened the night. He has a special voice and it was nice listening to him. However it seemed like he didn’t click with the audience even though he seemed super nice. Maybe it was just because the venue was too big for him.
Finally just after 9pm the siblings took the stage and I immediately was super impressed. They had a huge LED screen in the back where beautiful pictures were shown. In front of that screen Angus and Julia Stone had a totem which had LED lights included too. A smoke machine run wild with a lot of smoke coming off the stage. All of this created a mysterious atmosphere.
The two were accompanied by four other musicians coming together from all over the world. They started with “Baudelaire” and “Make it out alive”. Then they directed a few words towards the crowd and I could see that they loved to be here and enjoyed being on stage. Next we heard “Cellar door” and “Heart beats”. By then I was in love with them. The artists created a beautiful atmosphere with their music, their stage and spreading the love all around Zurich.
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The new song “Chateau” came on and I loved it! It is such a beautiful song and live it was even better. The voice of Angus is much stronger and deeper live and Julias is just incredibly beautiful. My worries that I wouldn’t like her voice were blown away in an instant. I enjoyed every song 🙂
Julia then said that she loved writing love songs which the next song “Wherever you are” is. In “Bloodhound” Angus took the lead with his raspy voice and I adored it. Their harmonies were incredible and you could sense that the two of them know each other since they were kids. All guitar lovers were made happy too with the wonderful guitars (including a banjo) Angus and the other musicians played.
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“Private Lawns”,”Who do you think” and “Nothing Else” were the songs before the big big hit “Big Jet Plane”. Everyone seemed to know the it and sang along. Julia asked the audience to get out ours phones and light it up. This created and incredible sight to a beautiful song. They seemed to enjoy it as much as we do. Being at concerts as often as I am I mostly enjoy the concerts where the artist loves to be there too. So this was definitely one! For the next song “For You” Julia explained the story behind it. She was dating a guy for 8 years when they broke up. She realised later that she was still in love with him so she wrote this song on guitar hero (How adorable! :-)) and sent it to him in an e-mail.
If I talk real slowly
If I try real hard
To make my point dear,
That you have my heart
It took him weeks to write back but eventually he did. It said “Cool song!” and attached was a random song he wrote which was a mix of metal and hip hop. My heart flew out to her.
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The duo introduced the next song “My House” by saying:
We are in your house and you are kinda in our house
So this is what the next song is about. Such a lovely song and we had to help them sing the chorus which created a unifying atmosphere full of love. For the title track “Snow” they brought out the big guns. In the middle of the song it literally started snowing and it wouldn’t stop. What a wonderful idea! This seemed like the last song to me but they only disappeared for the encore and came back to sing 3 more songs. “A Heartbreak” and “Uptown” of their own songs. But they finished with a shanty called “Stonecutters” since they grew up with sailing parents and grand parents. I love those kinds of songs and it was the perfect end to a wonderful evening.
If you can make sure to check out Angus and Julia Stone live. Click here to check out their tour dates! Were you at the concert in Zurich or in Geneva? Let me know how you liked Angus and Julia Stone in the comments below.
I’ve only discovered him a few weeks ago as you might have seen on my blog. I nominated him as one of my artists2watch and boy is he one artist to watch! I had the pleasure to listen to his voice yesterday at Mascotte Zurich thanks to Just Because. After listening to „Chainsmoking“ on YouTube I had high expectations but he did not disappoint.
Joy Crookes
Joy Crookes
First of all Jacob Banks brought out a young talented singer called Joy Crookes. She’s got a beautiful jazzy voice and plays the guitar. For all the guys reading check out how beautiful she is 😉 In addition to this she is also very funny and warmed up the crowd pretty nicely.
At 8.30 Mr. Jacob Banks took the stage and I was blown away from the very first minute! I don’t have enough superlative words to describe his voice. Seriously if you are a fan of Rag’N’Bone Man’s voice then check out this guy. With „Worthy“ and „Unholy War“ he started gloriously and from reactions of the audience they were as blown away as I was. It took him only a few minutes to win over the sold out Mascotte who were clapping, wooping, whistling louder after each song.
Apparently both artists tonight had shit relationships because they used almost the same words to introduce their next songs. Me being cheeky is wondering if they might talk about each other ;-)) Oh well we’ll never know but we got a beautiful song called „Part Time Love“. He then took his e-guitar and sang „Pilot“. Just his voice and the guitar it was magical.
„Silverlining“ and „Diddy Bop“ were next and then something happened which has never happened to me before. The music was quite loud so I put it my earbuds at the beginning of the concert and then suddenly one of them fell out. It seems like his voice popped it out. I couldn’t stop laughing. After he sang „Emty/Photograph“ he told us a joke:
What’s the church of Batman?
Christian Bale!
Everyone had to laugh! It was so random which made it very charming. After „Unknown“ someone from the audience shouted „Another Joke“ but he to sing his next song „Mercy/Grace“ so he we didn’t hear another joke. Overall he didn’t talk a lot but he didn’t really need to. His voice transported so much emotions that you felt connected to him without a lot of words in-between. So the next three songs „Love ain’t enough“, „Homecoming/Redbone“ „Sink or swim into Monster“ he sang without talking between them except a humble „thank you“.
On the setlist it says „Talk my Shit“ when he’s supposed to say something to us. Very funny! This hour of incredible music went by way to quickly and the last song before the encore was „Unholy War“. Us front-rowers we were feeling it and were dancing to it. Again I have to praise live music! This song and his voice is undescribably good but live they are fantastic!
This song took my breath away when I first heard it and now I had the honour to listen to it live. „Chainsmoking“ is one hell of a song. I will add the YouTube video again because I was enjoying it too much to video it. However a snippet of this incredible song can be found in my Instagram stories. Mr Jacob Banks left the stage after this wonderful show and me and my two concert buddies felt blessed to have seen this guy performing live in such a small venue because believe me he will come back in a much bigger venue. Jacob Banks has a thriving career in front of him. Were you there and witnessed Mr. Jacob Banks live? Please share your opinion with us in the comments below.
The Folk/Pop Duo Angus & Julia Stone are siblings from down under. They started out in 2006 and have released four albums so far. The latest one called “Snow” came out in September. This gave them a good excuse to go on a world tour which also stops in Switzerland twice. They play the Samsung Hall on Oct. 26th and Arena Geneva on Oct. 28th. Get your tickets here.
But I get it. You need more info before you get your tickets. Okay! So let me introduced them. They wrote and produced their “Snow” album completely by themselves but they had a good teacher. Their previous self-titled album was produced by Rick Rubin. Who is a magician in his job and has a long list of artists he has worked with to prove it. Let me name just a few: Justin Timberlake, Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran and Eminem. But let’s stop with the chatter and listen to some music!
“Chateau” is their newest track off their album. This song transforms you back to a warm summer day where you’ve been driving with the windows down. You can literally feel the warmth of the sun and the wind in your hairs. It’s a light breeze and just a perfect day. The perfect song especially now that the cold temperatures are back. The title track “Snow” has a similar feel. So if you are in need of some warm summer moments make sure to go see them!
Their biggest hit from 2010 is called “Big Jet Plane” and has done quite well in a few countries. However the only charted title in Switzerland I could find is “Grizzly Bear” from 2014. If you are a fan of the singer songwriter style and two lovely Australians with cute voices then they are your thing. 🙂 But again talking about it is not as good as listening for yourself that’s why here’s the YouTube link to “Big Jet Plane”:
And since nothing beats a good live video I’ve got “Grizzly Bear” for you on VEVO Discover:
So. You’ve heard three songs now and heard a bit about their story. Does it sound good to you? If so, please support these two siblings in their musical journey and go see Angus & Julia Stone live. Scroll up to get your tickets or if you are as lazy as me click here 😉 I’ll be reviewing the concert as well so I’d love for you to come back on Kekoas Korner and let me know how you liked the concert! Want to let me know your opinion about Angus & Julia Stone in the comments?
I have to tell you guys about this amazing artist called Jacob Banks. I’ve heard his name before but never really had a listen. This changed this week! I listened to “Chainsmoking” and it blew me away. It is powerful, soulful and Jacob Banks’ voice gives it the right intensity. It sounds like it’s coming from the deep south in the US but with a modern twist. But listen for yourself:
Good, right? But let me correct you he is not from any southern state in the US. He is actually from Nigeria and moved to Birmingham, England when he was 13. This came as a surprise to me after listening to this powerful song. But Banks has not only an amazing voice he also writes his songs himself. He is the complete package and a wonderful singer songwriter. Apart from “Chainsmoking” he released two other singles of his EP “The Boy Who Cried Freedom” and they are similar in style. He also got two previous EP’s and obviously they are well worth to listen to. But let me show you how he sounds live:
Amazing right?! He has been on tour with Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith and Alicia Keys all around the UK. Lucky for us he is on a world tour right now and tickets are going fast. The first few shows are already sold out. Just because is bringing him to Zurich on 23rd October! I bet he will fill Mascotte with his incredible voice and transform us into the south. Another great gig at this club after Welshly Arms played there. Me personally I cannot wait to see him live. Get your tickets here. Check back into Kekoas Korner after the concert to read about the gig and leave your opinion too.
Please check his homepage for other tour dates. What do you think of Jacob Banks? Let me know in the comments below.
