GenQ - For the not so straight individual

Some of you may be aware of Lou Rhodes from her time as lead singer of Lamb, a musical five-piece which throughout it's ten-year history has redefined many of the boundaries of the contemporary alternative music scene. A year ago the band began a recess to allow various members to concentrate on other projects, and a year later Lou is about to release her first solo album, ?Beloved One?, on her own label ?Infinite Bloom?, and I was fortunate enough to see the second of three gigs at Zigfrid's Bar in Hoxton Square, London (about half a mile east of Old Street Tube) organised by Souwfside, a company which promotes new music, performance and other forms of art throughout southern England.

Lou's solo style is distinctly different to that of Lamb ? gone is the heavy and often unpredictable electronic influence of Andy Barlow (the band's D.J.) and the distinctly strange-but-beautiful Basslines of Jon Thorne. Instead the music has a more stripped-back, natural feel to it, strongly folk-influenced, as if Lamb was a cyborg and someone removed all the inorganic components. Backing was provided by Oddur Runnarson, Lamb's icelandic lead-guitarist, as well as a third guitar (Lou herself playing) backing vocalist, violin, double-bass and innovative perscussion section centring around a Cajon.

By far the biggest highlights of the gig were ?Fortress?, an homage to two friends who fell in love without expecting it, and ?Each Moment New?, a Zen-influenced piece about life as a series of new experiences.

I'd give Lou's live performance a full 5* out of 5*.

Further tour dates will be posted on queerplanet-uk as they are confirmed.

Infinite Bloom
Souwfside