Taming The Savage, The Basement, York, 28 November 2011

The Basement provided the perfect intimate setting for Taming The Savage’s latest gig. Headlining the four-act show, the band of four University of York students played an effortless set of predominately original songs to a receptive audience.

Opening the night was eighteen year-old Hollie Cooper, whose melodic vocals and relaxed stage-presence were matched by impressive original songs and well chosen covers, including Radiohead’s “High and Dry”. In quick succession promising local band Lost On The Under Side (LOTUS) took to the stage. The young five-piece were spirited and gave an energetic performance, with original song “I Don’t Need You”, a particular standout. Their enjoyment of playing live was infectious; the audience couldn’t help but be drawn in. Sheffield based band The Retrospectives were up next, delivering a clean-cut performance – it was clear that they were not beginners in the gig circuit, with everything looking effortless to the talented trio.

Finally, Taming The Savage took to the stage. The band, named after lead singer Josh Savage, were light-hearted yet professional, a much desired combination. Drummer Ollie Brenig and guitarist Harry Lister were individually impressive and the vocal combination and harmonies of both Josh and bassist Rob Stonehouse sounded polished and natural, particularly on the song “Castle Walls”. The change of tempo within the set worked well, appealing to a multi-genre audience. It is hard to tie them to a genre at all, their music spanning several, but perhaps that is due to the music truly reflecting the production of the songs and the artists themselves, rather than being limited to replicating a style. A personal highlight of the night was the captivating acoustic set of Josh and Kirsty Rogers and her flugel horn on the song “Figure You Out” which wouldn’t sound out of place on national radio. You may have already caught the band playing at gigs on and off campus or at Woodstock 2011, but one thing is for certain; they are definitely one to watch out for in the future.

You can catch Taming The Savage on Saturday 3rd December at RAG’s Winter Wonderland.