02 May 2023
James Cameron hitches a ride to The Horn…
The route to Space Elevator at the Horn began a few months ago when I was watching a Cure tribute band on the same stage. They recreated the band’s sound very well and everyone was having a great time, but towards the end the faux-Robert Smith made an impassioned plea about the precarious state of live music, and made us all hold up our hands and swear an oath that we wouldn’t just go out to see cover bands but would also make an effort to seek out new music played by the bands who wrote it.
This stuck with me, so I decided to give Space Elevator a go. I had not heard of them before but they sounded fun so I took a chance and headed out on a Thursday night. I’m very glad I did as I ended up having a great night.
There was a strong contingent of dedicated fans and although the back room of the Horn wasn’t full capacity, many of those present were recognised by the band suggesting a level of dedication.
There also seemed to be an inordinate number of photographers there, this is apparently a regular feature of their gigs but it did get in the way of the music occasionally.
Possibly one of the aspects of Space Elevator that inspires this devotion is how well they engaged with the audience, there was plenty of between song banter from the singer, known only as ‘The Duchess’, and every song was approached with an energy and gusto that was infectious.
They all seemed to be having such a good time on the stage that it would have seemed churlish to not give yourself over as well.
The music was upbeat and powerful, without ever forgetting the importance of a tune.
They weren’t afraid to ease off the gas at times, such as on early song ‘Keep Waiting’ which had a lovely tuneful keyboard section from Michael Bramwell in the middle.
‘Loneliness of Love’ had a very catchy chorus that I was still humming on my walk home, and in ‘We Are the Losers’ they flipped the Queen song on it’s head, celebrating life’s underdogs rather than champions with a driving reggae beat that took off and was soaring to the rafters by the end.
There was a small interval to allow the Duchess to change outfits, and in fact she worked her way through a number of costumes like a glam-rock Sarah Jessica Parker, starting in a leather cat-suit before moving swiftly between a waitress outfit and ending with a sartorial tribute to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
It all added to the sense of fun that underpinned
proceedings. Space Elevator are a band that don’t take themselves too seriously, and neither are they overly concerned by the zeitgeist.
A case in point was second half ‘Duchess of the Town’, with its 1920s jazz undertone. ‘First Girl on the Moon’ was another slow one, with a dreamy waltz-like mood, and ‘Passive Aggression’ was a tribute to lockdown bonk-fest ‘Normal People’, starting with a vibe reminiscent of Simple Minds before going full-on Bonnie Tyler.
‘Move on’ started with an a cappella intro that raised goosebumps, and throughout the Duchess’s voice was sublime, forceful when it needed to be but also melodic and emotional.
They closed their set with ‘What You Think About That’, a great call-and-response that devolved into an absolute shimmy fest.
Space Elevator played the Horn like they were playing an arena in the 1980s (which, if you haven’t been for a while, it isn’t). Lead guitarist David Young knows his way around a hair-rock guitar solo and bassist Andy Carr belied the usual glum stereotype and provided a strong foundation to the songs.
Special mention must go to drummer Brian Young who was clearly living his best life, counting the songs in with vim and vigour and indulging in the occasional cheeky Eric Morecambe-style glasses wiggle.
There is no feeling as great as watching a band at the top of their game enjoying themselves whilst belting out big tunes. I am very glad I took a chance on a band that was new to me, and I encourage everyone to do the same. At the worst you get an evening out of the house supporting live music at a time when it really needs it and you might end up discovering a new favourite band.
