Live review from Underground Rogue Show:
1. [Unnamed song #1]
2. School
3. The Pub Your Dad Ran
4. Epsilon
5. On My Mind
6. The First Song
Ned Noble rocked, simply put. And simple it was. Armed with bunch of Loops, a Roland Octopad and a guitar, they opened the first Rogue show (and hopefully not last) with aplomb. A healthy crowd had filled Backstage at this point and they were treated to an aural ecstasy of tunes.
Their first song “Unnamed Song #1” definitely had a early Gorrilaz feel to it, with their percussionist driving a great tom rhythm. Coupled by the new live video and light show on the back wall, we were treated to a sensory world that you don’t often get in the smaller HK venues. With sounds normally associated with MGMT and the last song, having a David Bowie “Let’s Dance” feel to it, people were moving and cheering along almost to Ned Noble’s will.
Backstage have done an excellent job of revamping their sound in the that few months, and this night is the best I’ve heard it. The octopad filled the room like the drummer had four hands and played to the loops like a robot with feeling. Kinda like a music version of Data from Star Trek. Their mix of heavy reverb, a bit of that 80s electronic feel definitely brings a new style of music you don’t often hear in Hong Kong.
They originally were going to be a one man show, but i’m glad it was a duo tonight. The percussionist added a whole new dimension that filled the room and made it a great way for everyone to get into the spirit of the night. After their set Chris B, announced there might be a name change down the road for Ned Noble, which begs the question if they’ll be forming a band. I think it could be really cool but, whether they do or not, I love the sound and they’re heading in an excellent direction. One that I do look forward to re-visiting. I’m a fan.
— Jon “The Riot” Lee