The March Violets have a long legacy, yet for all their time within the music industry, they still remain utterly relevant and unjaded.
During the UK leg of what might be The March Violets’ final tour, they were ably supported by Vision Video and Kristeen Young. Kristeen Young gave a short but powerful set that warmed the crowd before Vision Video stormed onto the stage.
Vision Video are known as a goth band, but they are from the punk end of the spectrum. They delivered a politically-charged set, based on lead vocalist Dusty Gannon’s personal experiences in the military and emergency services. However, it was the black-fishnet ball of energy that was keyboardist Emily Fredock, who stood out with her powerful vocals and energetic performance.
The March Violets then opened their set with Crow Baby, to rapturous applause. This was the March Violets firing on all cylinders, demonstrating the breadth of their musical legacy and showing they are continuously evolving.
The tracks played included classics like Made Glorious and Radiant Boys. However, peppered throughout the setlist were newer tracks that had not yet been released, which teased the audience that new material could potentially be paving the way for a new album.
The March Violets played a fantastic set, fronted by Rosie Garland’s powerful vocals, with her incredible ability to hold notes. This created a unique musical experience that is so emblematic of the March Violets. Garland has a commanding presence that she uses well; engaging with the audience between songs and interacting with guitarist Tom Ashton and bassist William Faith during the set. Ashton and Faith’s guitar work was fantastic. The trio complemented each other perfectly to create the layered sound of classical goth music.
The set ended with a fantastic performance of Walk Into The Sun, but the stamping feet of the audience meant they were soon back onstage for a short encore: Strangehead, followed by Snake Dance.
The only downside was that it was a comparatively short set (ten songs, followed by another two in the encore), but this seemed to be due to the venue closing at 11.00 and needing to fit in three bands.
The March Violets were everything I hoped they would be, and seeing them play live is definitely recommended.
By Peter Ray Allison
