Live & Unheard

Lighthouse, Poole

Featuring Savage Underdogs, The Emma Hardy Band and Lo-Fi Rebels

Tonight Poole Lighthouse is the venue for the final Live & Unheard of 2019. To date Matt Black and his team have built up such a highly anticipated and well attended event that it is all set to continue into 2020. The line-up for this evening’s show once again features three completely different local artists, all who have been selected for their passion and original style.

The first of these earned their place on this bill as part of the “Sticky Wicket” battle of the bands contest at the Cricketers Pub in Wimborne. Travelling from their home just across the Purbecks in Swanage the “Savage Underdogs” are a four-piece who infuse their working-class Punk ethos with a hefty slice of Americana sounds. Their frontman Matthew Williams is a tall imposing character with a neck and arms full of tattoos and a huge passion for his music. Playing his guitar and singing like nothing/nobody else in the world matters. With inspiration from big musical heroes like Springsteen, Cash, Strummer and McGowan their music is honest, bold and unapologetic. The two guitars jostle together with tunes like opener “Gypsy Queen” and “1853”; where Matthew provides the no-nonsense vocals, coupled with hard-set rhythms. As well as tracks from their 2018 album “California 99” there are a couple of new tracks, including “Happy Song” which shows a slightly different side to the band’s usual outlook and slow burner “21 Shots”. Sadly their timings beat them and they have to drop one of their best tunes “The Churches”, ending on another newer tune.

Savage Underdogs 1–2–3–4–5–6–7

Emma Hardy is a Bournemouth based singer/songwriter who can be seen performing in a variety of different ways – solo, duo and with her band. Most of her gigs are performing covers in various local pubs and bars. Tonight she has the rare luxury of having her full band and the opportunity to perform mainly her own original material. Her band is made up of Sean Samber on electric Guitar with the rhythm section being borrowed from the band “We Are Robot” featuring Sam Kay on drums and Paul Denison on Bass. Emma seems to be much more animated tonight with plenty of excited smiles as she is clearly enjoying the prospect of performing her own material.

The set features a tune called “Waiting Game” which was the first tune she ever wrote, a slow-paced number combining acoustic and electric guitar to great effect with some nice vocal harmonization. For one number the young singer puts down her guitar and takes to the piano to deliver a lovely heartfelt tune called “Mama Said”, a tune about parental advice and how as young adults we perceive it. Emma gives a passionate performance with hugely impressive vocal delivery, that gets her plenty of applause from the audience. The set ends with a great tune called “Wildside” which really gets the best out of all the band members, ending the set on a real high.

Emma Hardy Band 1–2–3–4–5–6

Arriving in Poole after a short trip down the M27; from over the border in Hampshire are tonight’s headliner’s Lo-fi Rebels, a three-piece who started playing together just a few years ago. These guys have dug deep from their own personal influences to bring an honest, no holds barred original sound with a straight to the point social commentary angle. Opening with “Skint As Fuck” the band describe the time when they first started when they just had an old Fender guitar bought from a charity shop and a drum kit from a recycling tip. For a three-piece they have a sound that comes from lots of different sources, initially, I am hearing 50’s style surf sounds combined with Punk at Ramones pace with a large helping of Dr. Feelgood style RnB. These guys seem really humbled to be playing a place like this and really appreciate the positive reactions from the audience.

LoFi Rebels 1–2–3–4–5

The band deliver hard-hitting tunes like “Wifebeater” and a tune called “Toyboy” about the joys of sleeping with an older woman. You cannot help but smile at a track called “Gosport Blow Job”, seemingly about one of the members of the band having a sexual experience in an alleyway in Gosport. Matt, Jake and Craig are three top guys who wear their art on their sleeve and produce some great music that certainly made this Poole crowd sit up and listen. They even earn themselves a bonus encore and we are treated to an even faster version on “Gosport Blow Job” as particularly requested by the audience.

Set Lists
Lo-Fi Rebels
Skint as Fuck
Last Chance Saloon
Torpedo
New Start
Wife Beater
Toyboy
Deadline and the Breadline
Breathe
Gosport Blow Job
Quiet Revolution
Weekend Offender
Thousand Cuts
Gosport Blow Job

The Emma Hardy Band
Falling
Waiting Game
Told You
We Will Talk (Sam Fender)
Mama Said
Time to Decide
Beggars Belief
Wildside

Savage Underdogs
Gypsy Queen
Valentina
1853
Happy Song
Lucky One
California 99
Empty Coffin
Rollin’ High
21 Shots
This is My Life

Videos