Although famously known for their acoustic covers and collaborations, the trio really pushed to get some of their original material ‘out there’ during the set list, opening with one of their new releases, I’ll Be The One. Lead singer and guitarist Alejandro, was note perfect during the opening song and consistent throughout the night showcasing just why the band have racked up millions of Youtube views and subscribers.
The brothers second performance, a cover of Oasis’ Wonderwall saw the majority of the crowd (including myself) reach for their phones and hit the record button, the difficulty of being a cover band is that (particularly with BA) you’re always going to be compared to the original artist, but there is something about them that makes this impossible task look so simple- backed up by the roar of the crowd after this song.
For the fans fond of the bands original materials One Life and Find Me truly showcased their talent for song writing and the tight-knit vocal harmonies of the trio. Throughout, original songs were followed by acoustic covers, with standout performances including Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody which saw the audience really sing along with Alejandro. Also Adele’s Hello, Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud, and Tracey Chapman’s Fast Car struck a chord with the crowd (in particular those really there just to hear the covers). Fast Car was actually the first ever song I heard from Boyce Avenue so was it a personal favourite of mine.
Time seemed to fly by quickly and it was soon the final song (before the encore) with another original When the Lights Die. The encore showcased Alejandro’s piano solo performance with On My Way and displayed the perfect balance between vulnerability, rasp and control all in one song, how perfect! The last acoustic cover lived up to the expression, ‘save the best till last’, with the Goo Goo Dolls’ Iris erupting a sea of iPhones in the air and the biggest sing-a-long of the evening. The set was finished off with Anchor, swiftly followed by the lights switched on and the end of the night.
As a gig-goer I have been to a variety of performances in the UK and in the USA, and there is only really a handful that I can say ‘wow they sound exactly like they do on their CD’s, or even better live’ (including Hunter Hayes, Nickleback and Ellie Goulding) which for me Boyce fall into, I could have listened to them all night and all day, and look forward to when they return back to the UK. So famous for their covers, I’d be intrigued to see them in a couple of years after the release of their own albums, and a name has been made for them ‘as not just an extremely talented cover band’ but for their relatable empathetic song writing and material.
Boyce Avenue: Be Somebody World Tour took place at Rock City, Nottingham on Friday 18 March 2016.
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