On Friday 6 November, The Basement hosted a musical, genre-defying extravaganza featuring four local acts: The Carnival Rejects, The Magnificent Seven, Harrison Rimmer, and Jonny Gill.
By Jane Howkins
First up was Jonny Gill, performing a short acoustic set. Whilst Jonny may be better well known as the frontman for local band On The Ropes, it was also nice to see him performing in a more intimate manner. The crowd enjoyed the set, with banter between Johnny and the audience being passed back and forth throughout. Songs about Pokemon and Jonny’s love for York were played, which went down extremely well with the crowd.
Next up, it was time for Harrison Rimmer to take the stage. The majority of Harrison’s gigs in the past have been solo affairs, but this time he was joined by a full band. This added a slightly heavier twist to the set, and this influence was also shown in a punky new song debuted by Harrison called Roots, from C, his new EP.
Jonny Gill
A couple of technical difficulties were faced, but the the energy of Harrison and his backing band (jokingly called The Harrison Rimmer Experience by Jonny Gill in his set) meant the focus was on the band, and not the technicalities.
The Magnificent Seven took to the stage after a short break. Their ska-punk set went down extremely well, with particular favourites being a cover of Eminem’s Lose Yourself, as well as their own brand of genre-bending, political punk. It was also nice to see lots of people at the front of the crowd skanking to the music, with some hilarious puns about the word ‘moist’ being made between band and the fans.
Harrison Rimmer
The Magnificent Seven
Last but not least, it was time for headliners The Carnival Rejects to play. Their special variety of hardcore punk was quite a lot heavier than the rest on show that evening, but enjoyed nonetheless by those gathered to watch. They played hard, with guitarist and vocalist Jamie managing to play his guitar extremely proficiently, in terms of both technical skill and speed. A cover of the Ghostbusters theme tune (leftover from Halloween) also went down a treat, alongside their own tunes.
All in all, a great night featuring a good mix of bands and genres, with something for everyone to enjoy.
The Magnificent Seven
Carnival Rejects
Jonny Gill, Harrison Rimmer, The Magnificent Seven and Carnival Rejects played at The Basement on Friday 6 November 2015