Beatitudes, Live @ Soul Cellar, Southampton

I don't often feel the need to blog about a band I've seen live the night before, but I woke up this morning harbouring a desire to share with you my experience last night, and the music of a band that the world needs to just stop what they're doing and listen to. You may remember the New Artist Alert I featured on the guys back in July? That band is Beatitudes. Pronounced Bee-at-itudes, this slick and professional five piece had every foot tapping in Soul Cellar last night. Oh, and did I mention, they could probably give The Beatles a run for their money. A bold statement I'm sure you'll agree, but in a live music scene that continues to churn out the same old acts at the moment, Beatitudes were a breath of fresh air, complete with four-part vocal harmonies, fantastic rock 'n roll guitar licks and just brilliant songs. I can't urge you enough to check the guys out or, even better, catch them live, because I can't help but wonder if the right person gets wind of what these guys are doing, they're going to be huge. In an age where we look to the past when writing songs or buying clothes, Beatitudes skipped the 80's synth-revival train and waited a few more decades at the station for the classic rock 'n roll sound, whilst adding just a little sprinkle of the here and now to give their super-tight sound a real classy shimmer. Suited and booted, they are NOT a band to miss, so have a listen on their Myspace page or check them out on Facebook.
Excuse the personal plug, but they'll be supported at their next gig by my band Birds in Flight and The Sharps at The Joiners in Southampton on Friday 12th November :)

New Artist Alert: Beatitudes

With just one track online currently, I'm hoping this is the sign of things to come from the young band 'Beatitudes'. It's a cheeky yet infectious acoustic guitar intro supplemented nicely by the cool vocals; I like the melodies explored here and there's hints of Paolo Nutini and James Morrison. I was expecting a few snare stabs before the full band came in so I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more tracks because this must just be an acoustic song. It's nothing short of great though; really nice chord progressions matched with strong vocals do enough to set the song apart from every other singer/songwriter act; this sounds fresh and professional, definitely sure of itself and confident which is why it stands out.
Beatitudes hail from Southampton and describe themselves as "A fusion of Soul, Dance, R'n'B, Rock and all that Jazz...Music for people that LOVE music" and have a few shows lined up for the future:

30th July/Drift in the City Bar/Portsmouth
31st July/Joiners/Southampton
29th Aug/The Brook/Southampton
15th Sept/Soul Cellar/Southampton

You can have a listen to 'Danielle' for yourself and check out their upcoming shows on the band's Myspace page.