Plymouth Theatre Review

Title: So Far Sounds Plymouth

Venue: Cafe Momus

Date: 30/03/2014

Overall Rating: 4

On a crisp evening in Plymouth, music buffs gathered at cozy & intimate venue Cafe Momus for the inaugural Sofar Sounds event here in the city. With a secret venue and closely guarded line up, patrons were highly anticipating a night of diverse music and they were not disappointed! 

Sofar Sounds creates intimate music performances with a ‘secret cinema style’ set up inviting patrons to attend the hush-hush event without knowing the venue or line up in advance. If you are on the look out for up and coming music acts and enjoy events that offer a little mystery, this is the event for you! The evening started with an email from curator Melissa offering a sneak peek at nights line up, with performances starting shortly after. 

The venue itself was welcoming and cozy with good seating options available in the main bar downstairs enabling audiences  to sit and chat over a drink and anticipate the upcoming event. When the time came, the audience made their way to the stage area into an upstairs room with a small, intimate stage and audience area with plenty of room to not feel cramped, while still retaining the close audience-performer proximity that Sofar Sounds are famous for. While the venue did live up to expectations with regards to the intimate and cozy performance space, the space itself wasn’t very accessible for those with disabilities and limited seating options were a little frustrating with very little seating available throughout the night. The venue would have benefited from having a few more seating options for those less able to stand for the entire show. Nonetheless, this did not put a dampener on the evening with the audience engaging with each performance and moving around the venue with ease.

First up was a solo singer/songwriter Izi Weil, branching out on her own (she usually plays with band ‘one night stand’) with a deeply soulful and captivating voice that sent shivers down the spine. Her performance was a delightful mix of raw emotion and vulnerability that immediately endeared her to the audience. Showcasing her amazing & envious vocal talent, Izi effortlessly wooed the audience with her stunning vocals and equally warm personae. Nerves aside, Izi wowed the audience with her thought provoking, resonating lyrics and deeply soulful voice that left the audience wanting more. Izi was our favourite performance of the evening and we look forward to hearing more of her in the future!

Next up was C Bone with a more upbeat repertoire that delighted with a mix of swing and rock & roll, combined with a breathtaking talent on the guitar. His set was lively and energetic and the audience clearly enjoyed the opportunity to dance and bop along to his unique sound that showcased a vast array of styles and genres. He provided flawless and effortless vocals combined with foot tapping melodies that the audience lapped up throughout his energetic  and passionate performance. 

Third and final performance of the night was Andy Quick, a duo (from a larger band) that carried on the momentum of C Bone with a fast and skilful set showcasing a modern, genre defying sound that manifested a vast array of genres and performance styles. Their original songs were vibrant and dynamic showcasing exceptional talent on both vocals and guitar. Their powerhouse performance was a great end to the evening leaving the audience energised and ending the night with a bang.

Overall, Sofar sounds first gig in Plymouth was a resounding success, expertly curated by Mellisa to include a wide range of genres and styles that undoubtedly had something for everyone, and showcased a great line up each with their own style and sound that captivated and energised the audience. This fun and exciting event will no doubt grow in popularity with their upcoming shows this year and gain itself a reputation for being a fun, exhilarating and different event for music lovers in the area! SoFar Sounds Plymouth’s next show is April 20th 2024 with another secret line up and venue to tickle your musical tastebuds and we can’t wait to see what performers they introduce us to next!