Lonehill Estate, Holly and the Woods & Voodoo Child @ Bluesroom

The Bluesroom seems to have had a make over in the last few weeks and it was great to be back. It is always going to be a hot and smokey venue, but a good time is always guaranteed and they really do book some great bands.
We arrived at our “normal” time and found it a bit odd that Lonehill Estate was already on stage and playing their hearts out. We did manage to catch most of their gig and they really are great! I’m assuming their early time slot was due to a second gig that night in Pretoria and I’m sure they blew them away too. There is a comical story-telling angle to their songs, which grabs people’s attention and holds on to it for a bit longer. Their clothes resembled the great bands/performers on the 1950s (Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc.) and they even threw in an old cover which rounded it all off.

It was the first time we had seen Holly & the Woods live. I had seen them on the TV show “Pump Up The Volume”, so was looking forward to see what they could do. Lead singer, Melissa, has an incredibly powerful voice, and managed to keep it strong throughout the entire performance. They are the new Skunk Anansie in SA and are going to go far in their genre. My only complaint was that most their songs sounded the same, and their set went on for a bit too long. As a heavy band, it cant be easy to vary your sound, but it could be a great challenge that I think they are capable of taking on.

Headlining the evening was Voodoo Child, who played yet another awesome set. They bring so much energy to the stage and really brought the entire venue to life. The EP has finally arrived! There were some on sale that, if my sources are right, were sold out before the band even finished performing. We’re hooked. The EP has been playing in our cars/offices/ipods since we got our hands on some copies and suggest you do the same. These guys are true professionals who can play flawlessly, hold a crowd and still have so mach fun on stage regardless on where they play. Their energy is contagious and their songs are addictive, so watch out for these guys because they are moving up. And quickly.