Minor Characters/Hello Hawaii

Chaplin’s Cellar Bar, Boscombe

The great thing about the Christmas holiday season is that with a lot of Universities, Schools and businesses close down for a couple of weeks, it gives people get the chance to join together without these such restraints. Minor Characters played their 1st gig ever at Chaplin’s Cellar Bar back in August after release their debut album “First”, they showed how well the great songs from this album come across live, tonight the band reform once again for a special “one off” Christmas show.

The support are local Bournemouth acoustic rock act “Hello Hawaii”, who thrilled listeners with a impressive live session on Bournemouth’s Hope FM radio recently. The band arrive on stage at around 10:30pm and the Cellar Bar is packed with lively Christmas revellers. The three piece band featuring Wesley Bennett (Guitar/Vocals), Theo Skinner (Guitar) and Jake Waters (Bass) are tonight minus their drummer who sadly had other commitments, this small set back in no way stops the dtermined band continue. Kicking off with the song “Animals” the band despite some obvious early nerves create a beautiful sound combining electric and acoustic guitars with Wesley’s hauntingly emotional vocals. A song in the short set called “Peter Pan” which is all about childhood memories is delivered by Wesley with closed eyes, who really gets into passionate lyrics of this song making you believe every word that is sung. The set ends with a burst on anger on “Bend & Break”, a song about school friend who is so frustratingly up himself. Tonight “Hello Hawaii” certainly really impressed all onlookers showing that there is still certainly plenty of young talent still around in Bournemouth and are ome of a great batch of local bands to watch out for in 2013.

Hello Hawaii 1

Minor Characters are made up of four local musicians Martin Ruddock (Guitar/Vocals), Angus Rudd (Guitar?Vocals), Ed Pope(Bass) and Paul “Dixie” Hartley(Drums) who all are involved in lots of other bands but have joined together to create this rather special seperate unit. They arrive on stage to a very warm Cellar Bar welcome and kick off with the album opener “Hanging On By The Nails”, this time the band seem so much more comfortable and despite very little rehearsal are really together. The songs all have a very heavy sixties influence but with a more modern updated feel, Angus and Martin’s combined guitar skills is just a sheer pleasure to watch, the two of them effortlessly bring these well written songs to life with beautiful rifts and well matched vocals thrilling everyone watching.

Minor Characters 1–2–3

An impromptu jam half way through the set also highlighted the outstanding skills of bassist Ed Pope who was throwing a few “Flea” like shapes over proceedings while “Dixie” hit his skins as his life depended on it. The set was over far too quickly with the possibly their best song “No Bus Today”, the audience despite it being just past midnight would not let the band leave the stage and noisily demanded more. The band dutifully obliged with a cover by Space Ace records band “Warmer Corners” from Southampton, a song taking the piss out of being in a rock band. Once again the Minor Characters came along delivering in a big way songs that really hit the mark, if this line up was permanent perhaps anything could be possible.

Set Lists
Hello Hawaii
Animals
Teardrops
Peter Pan
Lost Love
Bend & Break

Minor Characters
Hanging On By The Nails
What Would Bob Welch Do ?
Don’t Walk Away
Bow & Arrow
Impromptu Jam
There’s a Storm
No Bus Today
(“Warmer Corners” Cover)

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