BBC Oxford Review of The Bays at Peepshow

BBC Oxford

The Bays- House music as an art form

By Niels Eernink

There's probably no point providing this review because the next Bays gig is probably going to be completely different but we went so here it is...

The Bays are probably the most unpredictable band in the country. You only know that they're going to play, but what and how, even they themselves couldn't say. On an unassuming Tuesday night in the Zodiac they stunned the crowd beyond belief, though. Who would have thought house music could become an art form? Their electrifying blend of house, grooves and hip hop was gazed upon in amazement. Gazing instead of dancing, because dance music it is. There wasn't a lot of dancing, but admiring there was plenty.

Their stage presence is impressive: a monster of a drummer behind a drum kit that looks like something that came from Mars. The two hard working key board players had built themselves into an absolutely gigantic stack of amps, synthesizers, Moogs and reverb machines. They are the boisterous engine of the band, with the drummer's efforts taking centre stage repeatedly at the crowds delight.

The sound is serious, but happy. The effect machines were making overtime in creating a colourful fringe to the heavy beats and bass lines. The heavy drum work contrasted amazingly well with swelling guitar riffs. It was a feast of improvisation, resulting in a capturing performance. Their gig is a one way trip, no turning back: the highs, the lows, spasms of sheer virtuosity; all the music blended into one giant mesh.

The band's flawless coherence reminds of the geniuses in the great jazz combos, who understood each other hearing only half a note. You'd never know they're a band that has never released an album and never rehearses for a gig. They sound like they've spent a lifetime together.

The audience's cheers could only every so often rise above the towering sounds. That's one thing the Bays must change, they don't have to stop the music, but just give the audience a chance to show the appreciation they so richly deserve.