The Sheffield Scenester

A couple of weeks ago we interviewed Orange 38 and I was quite surprised when Paddy announced that they were doing their first gig (in more than 6 months) at The Forum....usually bands come back with a fairly big affair. It was good they weren’t taking anything for granted with their new line up/material and decided to kick off with a fairly low key event...or so they thought! As soon as we found out we placed a poster on our ‘Whats on Soon’ page...murmurings started on Facebook....so by the time the evening came around The Forum was nearly full with familiar faces looking forward to see and hear what the new Orange 38 had to offer. With an air of excitement the crowd gathered in anticipation of the impending performance....they didn’t have to wait long either as the first track of the night ‘Don’t Care’ commenced as only Orange 38 know how...and that’s demanding the attention of everyone in the room using a megaphone; “Attention please....” was the opening words, which did exactly that! As the catchy synth tune with a solid electronic drum beat progressed Sophie danced in a robotic style then cut in with a determined vocal. This was an amazing start and really fired up the crowd...as approving comments were shouted out in encouragement, Paddy introduced the second track ‘Friendship’ in his familiar Yorkshire drawl that always seems to rhyme....this track had a grinding/skuzzy pulse which had tones of The Black Eyed Peas with a hint of Falco. It was only a matter of time before Paddy ventured from the stage to sing directly at the crowd. At the moment, the new Orange 38 doesn’t seem to be as harsh or so much ‘in your face’ as it once was...and as Paddy approached the crowd with his megaphone no one appeared to flinch like they used too, they just nodded to the beat with a smile! I have to say...I agree with what Sophie said in their interview...“It’s still us. It’s just that...it’s bit cooler...” Their sound now has definitely incorporated a more raw danceable energy, which is familiar...but at the same time different!? The third track ‘Moving Over’ was introduced with a spot of spontaneous performance poetry, which made me think of Matt Abbott (formally part of Skint & Demoralised)...and like Matt, Paddy’s a real wordsmith, which makes people say “wow!” when they hear his well chosen words that can hit people on so many levels. Again this track illustrated Paddy’s smoother vocals alongside Sophie’s melodic vocal...with excellent timing. Next came ‘Landslide’, this highlighted a change of pace and a strong vocal from Sophie...it has to be said...during the intro her voice almost sounded as though she was about to reach orgasm, which obviously gave this track a sexier edge...and as the song continued Sophie’s vocal also reminded me of Kate Bush’s idiosyncratic style which made everyone listen and enjoy this unusual Orange 38 track. Their next track ‘Alternative’ began with a gritty solid drum beat....which to me echoed more of the original Orange 38 sound. It was another spell it out kind of track...a little bit like ‘Be Aggressive’, so it was instantly catchy. This track also illustrated the chemistry between Paddy, Sophie and Dougie...which again reminded me of their interview, where Dougie explained to us about how well all three of them work together. The eye contact between the band was brilliant...and when you see the little smiles and nods of encouragement they give to each other, you know they’ve got a good working relationship. ‘Never Been In Love’ came next with a warning from Paddy...he wanted more people to dance and he didn’t want to let the fact it was a Monday to be an excuse....Infact this was just the track to encourage it! Maybe this track would be a great set opener, as it instantly gets your ‘dancing fluids running’! The opening of the next track ‘Sleeper’ had a wonderful dramatic feel as the sound of thunder resonated from the stage. I think at this stage everyone was enjoying the gig and were quite disappointed when they announced their final track of the night. ‘Love Is All We Need’...although this song did hit a few snags, and had to be re-started...which wasn’t so bad...at least they don’t want to sell themselves short. It has to be said...some bands would have blagged it and not admit that they got it wrong...but not Orange 38, they wanted to get it right and when they did...yet again Sophie displayed another strong/confident vocal...and this time around it seemed to have undertones of Toyah Wilcox. As you looked around the crowd you could see how transfixed they were...It was obvious the crowd could have quite easily listened to a lot more of their new material. This was one successful comeback and yes this gig kept me buzzin’ for a good few days. The CD they gave out is excellent too...and I’m constantly listening to it! Although, it was a shame after Orange 38 we had to leave (you know early start with our day jobs etc...) because we missed another good musician, which was Ed Sheeran. Apparently he was excellent, so we are going to try and see him next time he’s around Sheffield. However, despite our early exit...it was a great night and i think Orange 38 are now well and truly back on the local music scene map.

Words & Photos by Gail & Geoff Buckthorpe