The Longest Day/Empire Affair/The Rimes/Mikey Ball

Champions

As I entered Champions, I was more than a bit worried that there wouldn’t be a great turnout for tonight’s show due to a sudden flash of hesitation caused by a crowd of less than ten people at the last show I saw there. Luckily, organiser Lauren Howard had done a good job and there was a healthy following in the venue before the first band made their way onstage. The show was in aid of The British Heart Foundation and a worthy cause will have helped the numbers flow without a problem.

First up is Mikey Ball, who sadly fails to really impress me at first, but with an impressive cover of Feeder’s “Feeling a Moment”, some light starts to shine through the clouds. Progressively, their material gets stronger with originals “Where” and “Better Days” igniting a spark into their performance.

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The Rimes are up next and instantly, first track “Jackie Brown” shows off this bands connection with the crowd as a vibrant buzz fills the room. The band travelled all the way from Wolverhampton for half an hour of stage time and they made it clear that they wanted to leave with something for Bournemouth to remember them by, with a set filled with catchy songs reminiscent of sixties classics. Their sound is far from what you would expect the usual indie rock band to sound like, as front man Jamie’s vocal qualities fuel vibes that could be seen as a hard edged version of Editors. A fantastic set from a fresh upcoming band who I hope to see back here soon.

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The main support slot for a band like The Longest Day is a big responsibility and Empire Affair waste no time introducing themselves as front man, Neil is set off like a firework. As he leaps around the stage, the crowd seem to come alive and after a few songs, the front of the stage is full of moving crowd members. Tracks like “Can’t Get Through” and “December” strike me as highlights with each track showing edgier and more chilled aspects to their sound respectively. They have matured into a well respected band with an indie rock sound to boast about since reforming after reforming since last band “Echo’. If they continue with their high energy shows, their fan base will continue to increase nicely.

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Now it’s time for The Longest Day, who I consider to be Bournemouth’s current best band. Kicking off with “Show Me”, the band preview what they’re all about with front man Dan’s unmistakable vocal tones filling the room, beefy guitar riffs hitting me like a speeding train and a rhythm section thumping along with my heart beat. Despite the band not having played together in a while, it’s clear they still have the tight sound they used to with songs like “Kamikaze Dream” and “No More Heroes” continuing their surging set. Finishing on “Monochrome” and “Breathe More Air” it’s clear to see that The Longest Day truly is (in my opinion) Bournemouth’s best band.

Set Lists
The Longest Day
Show me (working title)
Kamikaze Dream
Slave to Wrong
No More Heroes
Untitled – ves
Content Enough
Monochrome
Breathe More Air

Empire Affair
Make Your Move
One of Me
Can’t Get Through
December
Ride On
Illyria
Take Me Down
Teenage Kicks

The Rimes
Jackie Brown
Shake It My Way
1’s and 2’s
To My People
Pretty Lady
After Party
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Last Train Home

Mikey Ball
Lovers and Friends
Should’ve Been Me
Feeling a Moment (Feeder Cover)
Sideline
Without Love
Where
Boys of the Summer (Don Henley Cover)
Better Days

Videos
The Longest Day