Fringe By The Sea: Dr Salad/The Honey Farm
Last night I attended a performance by two Scottish music acts: Rock band Dr Salad, with support from three-piece girl rap group, The Honey Farm.
Dr Salad describe their sound as “Heavy Romance”. This description is a little confusing to me, as I’m not sure what is particularly romantic about their overall sound– but they claim to have a “unique style” and I can definitely hear that. I would describe their sound as a mélange of Noughties indie rock (akin to the Arctic Monkeys), and funk, along with a few other elements that are more difficult to pin down. They have a “rough around the edges” vibe, with powerful percussion, clean-sounding guitar riffs and impressive solos. The lead vocalist’s voice is part of what makes their sound “unique” – he has a rich tone, vibrato, and a crooning style that is unusual for this type of genre, that indeed gives a hint of romance. Upon reflection, it also reminds me slightly of Paolo Nutini’s voice, with a little less rasp. A stand-out feature of Dr Salad is that they don’t appear to take themselves too seriously, and are there to have fun and enjoy themselves, spreading the happy feeling to everyone in the room.
Their enthusiasm and energy were infectious, with the audience dancing right at the front and calling for encores and whistling at the end. One thing that I wasn’t a huge fan of, however, was shouting into the microphone – unnecessary when the volume levels are that high (too high for my liking in such a small venue). I would recommend that a little less oomph in the volume be considered by the event organisers. Perhaps a little more lighting too, as once the sun went down it seemed a little dingy, which didn’t match the upbeat cheerfulness and energy of the band on stage.
The Honey Farm, though their genre seemed a bit of a mismatch to cater to the same audience as Dr Salad, also had boundless energy and were clearly having a ball on stage – cheering to watch. Personally, I found their regular explicit sex references a little wearing, though admittedly, that comes down to individual taste. Despite the genre difference, the audience loved their presence, and they did a great job of warming up the crowd. So, if you like rap and want to be uplifted, you may well enjoy them too.
To summarise, if you are looking for an evening of fun entertainment and acts with some unusual elements that encourage the audience to let their hair down, have a good time, and celebrate the end of lockdown, go to see another gig by these bands. It will hit the spot!
