Photograph by Ian D. Hall

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

One of the signs of a band having something about them, the spark of creativity that will stand them in good stead in years to come, is being able to perform at the drop of a hat and surprise an audience by being an unlisted addition; it is how you conduct yourself as a group at the very beginning that sets the seal on how you will be seen later on in your career.

Brothers ‘N’ Bandits are at the start of their career and for the second time in a matter of weeks, Liam Tanner, Tom Dalrymple, Liam Bentley and Mathew Colfar gave an excellent account of themselves. Even though the band were not expected to be on the line-up as part of the Saturday evening entertainment, the four lads played in such an impressive and professional manner that just by watching them conduct themselves with a great attitude is heartening and proves yet again that the Liverpool area is a haven for up-coming talent.

The group opened up their set with This Won’t Last Forever and the superb Sunday Afternoon and whilst the excitement from the Academy One room upstairs was palpably flowing throughout the building as the Reverend and the Makers went about their business, the area around the young lads remained Reverend free. This was music from the raw end, the beginning of a career that should Tom, Liam T., Liam B. and Mathew keep being professional and artistically sound then their time will come and it will be a moment to savour.

The rest of the set was jam-packed full of their own original compositions and it was with gladdened heart to hear this approach by a young band to have faith in their own writing. With songs such as Sometimes It Happens, The Life and Soul and the excellent The Beginning in their rapidly burgeoning catalogue, Brothers ‘N’ Bandits remain a great hope for the future.

Ian D. Hall