poppedmusic

Nimmo

The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool, 22nd September 2015

Words: Daryl Wafer

There’s that old saying ‘two heads are better than one’ and in this case I agree. Except by this rule, two voices (Sarah Nimmo and Reva Gauntlette) are better than one. Sarah and Reva come together to form a melodic sound that makes you feel as though you’re riding on a whole new wave.

For all of you who haven’t heard of the five-piece indie pop band ‘Nimmo’ then now is your time to get yourself a comfy seat on the bandwagon before it takes off. They are very different to what you might expect from the word ‘Indie’ these days. They’re creating a whole new recipe for modern pop music. Mixing ingredients of 80’s new wave, Electronica and Pop music. Making a very cool musical cake.

They had their first headline gig in Liverpool on 22nd September at an underground venue; with low ceilings, dim lighting even a leather couch to the right hand side of the stage making Nimmo feel right at home. I felt this type of venue is what Nimmo like; intimate, edgy, real. The band and the venue seemed to sync well, adding a very comfortable watch.

As red lighting lit up the stage and a single spotlight was the only thing separating the two vocalists (Sarah also on Bass occasionally and Reva on Keys) they both combined their vocals effortlessly, which added an alluring feel and created so much depth to their performance. There is something mesmerising about the way the band performs. I’m not just talking about the excited dancing and the grooving they all individually do, but at certain parts Sarah stares in the distance as if there is something going on behind the audience that she can only see. She sings from an honest place and invites you in. ‘What have we become, Bored love like everyone?’ Sarah’s reflecting on what seems to be a watery relationship that over time has become ‘diluted’. Leaving an honest aftertaste in the audience’s mouth.

‘Once we kissed under a red light’ ‘Waiting for a signal to set us free’ although Nimmo’s longing seems as though she has wanted to be kissed and for everyone to see it. I feel that’s the same reason she is bored with her relationship and is asking herself/her partner ‘Are we as boring love as everyone else?’ Nimmo’s longing for a spark and excitement. If you can’t tell by the clever lyrics or the undeniable infectious melodies it’s definitely the energetic performance they all give. If by a third way into the intensely catchy chorus of Dilute This you’re not singing along, it’s because you were concentrating so cautiously on your dance moves and head bopping that you didn’t want to spill any of your precious alcohol out of your can of Red Stripe.

They unexpectedly finish their set and head off with a polite ‘Thank you’. Leaving the audience to shout for more. I really enjoyed the show and I think they work really well as a band (Sarah, Reva, Josh, Jack and Hannah) and I feel the love for what they do. I also think they did a good job of converting their tracks from good recordings into an entertaining live set something that is hard to do, let alone make it look easy.