The Heroes

U_96_112.JPG Live review from Underground 96:

Setlist:

1. This Is the Time*
2. That Place
3. Mental Disorder
4. My Child*
5. A Letter for Myself
6. 20th Century
(Note – these titles are a translation, by Dawn, except *)

Normally having an aural allergy to anyone who calls themselves “pop”, I was pleasantly surprised when the Heroes turned out to be more than the dustbin-muzak that the tag usually implies. With some pleasantly crooned vocals and sweet guitars, their main sound involved plenty of easy-on-the-ears melody. That Place was slow and pensive, while Mental Disorder was pacy, and notable for the vocals being delivered at warp speed. There was even some mild comedy added by the addition of that kids toy that makes that annoying honking sound (no idea what it’s called). To their credit, they added backup vocals to the songs only when needed instead of in every chorus like many bands (and good vocals at that). Overall, they reminded me very much of a band called Jal from Pakistan in their general performance.

Even though the lyrics were in Cantonese (hence, beyond the realm of my understanding), it was clear that the singer was putting a lot of emotion and energy into them without ever having to ham; kudos to him for that. He was a ball of energy, and their act benefitted greatly from it.My Child was apparently written because the guitarist “really has a child” (*wink, wink*), and featured a heartfelt guitar solo. The audience’s energy was upped as well, as they were called to join in to bits of 20th Century, probably their best song of the night. With the light-effects cooperating perfectly towards the end, some nifty chord-work heralded the end of a very fun set.

Shashwati

Be Sociable, Share!

Performances by The Heroes: