Kosheen|Sophia Syndicate
The Ballroom, Dreamland, Margate, Kent
18th November 2023

In the identical Artwork Deco ballroom that performed host to Olivia Coleman and Michael Ward in Sam Mendes’ ‘Empire Of Mild’, Kosheen took to the Dreamland stage to shine a lightweight on their spectacular again catalogue. Twenty-two years after the discharge of Kosheen’s breakthrough album – ‘Resist’, the Bristol-based band are again on the street to have a good time 25 years of creating music collectively. Lead singer Sian Evans, drummer Mitch Glover and guitarist Ron McElroy have launched into a tour that not solely takes in Southend, Stroud and Stoke-On-Trent but in addition ventures into Europe as they play dates in each Belgium and Holland.

On stage previous to Kosheen have been Sophia Syndicate, properly two of them at the very least (They’re usually a five-piece). Set the duty of – “warming up the group”, Folkestone’s best tried their finest to energise the ever-growing crowd. Take your self again to a faculty disco hosted by the house economics instructor (styled tonight by New Look as Elvira’s frumpier Auntie) and the caretaker (carrying Primarni and evoking a Jason Williamson vibe), or a retro dance night time run by your Mum and Dad within the native village corridor and also you’ll be in the precise zone. Though Sophia Stutchbury could have been singing about ‘Wonderland’ as she very enthusiastically shuffled backwards and forwards throughout the Dreamland stage a few of us have been wishing she’d taken the ‘blue capsule’ to “make the story finish”.

Kosheen, all three of them, took to the stage simply after 8:30pm to the delight of the Ballroom crowd. Launched with a stirring instrumental build-up, Sian Evans strode on stage and opened with ‘Harm’ from the 2007 album of the identical identify. After a fast shout to the lighting man – “are you able to flip the lights down, none of us are spring chickens right here”, Evans, Glover and McElroy carried out a ‘better of’ set that spanned all 5 albums.

Inside three tracks of the eventual 14 Evans was clearly moved by the response of the partisan viewers. After initially sharing childhood reminiscences about visiting Margate, and the then Bembom Brothers theme park, and getting her past love chew, Sian acquired choked up and overwhelmed by the Margate huge singing her cherished songs again to her, phrase for phrase. “I’m misplaced for phrases, that doesn’t occur fairly often” she stated, “you’re off the charts”.

‘Save Your Tears’ gave option to ‘Losing My Time’ earlier than an early set spotlight – ‘Hungry’, from the band’s 2001 debut album – ‘Resist’. “Put your mobiles in your pocket, reside within the second” Evans implored the very enthusiastic crowd. Sian had misplaced none of her vocal prowess as she flexed her vary all through the night time, at one second even taking a quick interlude to sing out a rendition of – “I do wish to be beside the seaside”.

“I used to be 52 in October and you already know what? I don’t give a f**ok. I imply, I didn’t actually give a f**ok once I was 27, however now, I really don’t give a f**ok, have you learnt what I imply?”. An enormous cheer got here again from the group in a short time as followers who’d aged along with her music shared frequent floor. Evans certified her assertion with – “Inform my knees that within the morning” earlier than belting out her subsequent tune.

‘(Slip & Slide) Suicide’ headed up an awesome rendition of ‘Empty Skies’ earlier than a rousing model of ‘Dependency’ and in the end the band’s largest single, ‘Disguise U’. The highest ten observe despatched the group wild. “You’ve been superb, from begin to end, however nothing ever actually finishes, all the things I imagine goes on. The center beats in your physique with out query, with out request, it simply retains going…”. Evans, caught up within the second struck her chest and burst into the largest crowd-pleaser of the night time earlier than stepping off stage forward of a two-track encore.

Sian, now hydrated with a purple wine, Ron and Mitch returned to the Dreamland stage and completed their succinct set with ‘Catch’ and Sian’s DJ Contemporary collaboration – ‘Louder’. I genuinely assume that Evans and her bandmates loved their night time in Kent each bit as a lot because the viewers that got here to see them; all of them have been beaming with smiles all through the night time. “Right here’s to the subsequent 25 years” Sian stated earlier than leaving the stage to rapturous applause.

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You’ll find Kosheen on-line right here.
You’ll find Sophia Syndicate on-line right here.

All phrases by Andrew Lockwood. Extra writing by Andrew Lockwood could be discovered at his creator’s archive.

All images by Aaron Thompson. AMP Images