Strong Live: Skybombers/Charles Bradley/Persephones Bees
Fans appreciate Bradley's energy and warmth
It seems like LA is a home away from home for Melborne’s Skybombers. They’ve recorded their two albums here and love the Viper Room, which was full. On their way back to Australia following their tour with Rooney, the boys delivered as always with strong songs, great energy, and fine playing. The following day, we had them visit the Moheak Radio studios for a live session. All were having so much fun that we kept the party going for 90 minutes rather than the original 40 that were planned. They truly love what they do, and it shows.
Soul original Charles Bradley thrilled friends of mine at SXSW so it was imperative that I catch his sold-out Echo show. He’s 63 this year and is a Daptone Records labelmate of Sharon Jones. The band is tight and played a few songs before the likeable, sincere Charles came out. The man may not have had a string of hits back in the day, but he’s now making up for lost time and the crowd had a great time.
Persephones Bees were a fave band a few years ago, both live and on record. They’ve finally resurfaced and came through LA to headline the Bootleg Bar. The venue’s subpar sound didn’t help their intricate playing. They still play great and put on a good show, although it was rather short. Only one song came from their debut album Notes From the Underworld, and I was hoping for more. P’s Bees are one band that has the knack of being able to extend their songs into jams that remain engaging. Their style is now a bit less quirky. The new songs are interesting and will require some more listening time to be fully digested.