Four lads local to the Wiltshire area have been letting their presence be known of late. With the indie music scene of the region needing fresh artists, Nothing Rhymes With Orange have really begun to seize their opportunity.
An abundance of live shows as well as releases of some really admirable material thus far has led them to this point: where they are gaining followers, whilst catching the eyes and ears of some important people in the music world, such as local radio stations.
Being local to the Devizes area, it really did make sense for the group to put on a gig at the town’s local nightclub, The Exchange. Having headlined the room upstairs just weeks prior to this event, Nothing Rhymes With Orange wouldn’t shy away from their moment. Tickets sold well, and the evening was set to be something special for the young band.
Despite the gig taking place on a Sunday, the crowd were well and truly ‘up for it’, as they welcomed two support acts to the stage with open arms.
Ignotis and Stone Face kicked things off respectively. Both showed off brilliant sets full of some really clever original material as well as covers. I’m sure that both groups will go on to achieve great things. Ultimately, they did an outstanding job as support acts: the Devizes crowd were well and truly ready for their headliners after the bands’ great showings.
It was then time for Nothing Rhymes With Orange. The crowd clustered on the dance floor, trying to get as close as possible to their hometown heroes.
The four-piece wasted no time and kicked straight off with latest single ‘Monday’, which featured a professional sounding introduction that brought the lads out onto the stage. It really has something about it. The track itself was performed excellently. It offered the first glimpse of just how tight of a unit the band have become. They managed to execute distorted guitar sounds with a loud rhythm section whilst keeping lead singer Eli Easton at the forefront of things.
The group worked their way through a great set list. It must be noted that they largely performed original tunes, something that must be applauded. They’ve not long been on the scene so to play nearly a full set list of originals is incredible. These tracks aren’t just any old originals though, they’re great songs that really show off the band.
At such young ages, the group’s ability to handle crowds is already outstanding. They even had an audience member play their track ‘Chow For Now’ on rhythm guitar with them.
The covers that Nothing Rhymes With Orange did do were completely nailed. Around the midpoint of the set, they performed The Backseat Lovers’ hit track ‘Kilby Girl’. It was done with ease and a real confidence. This one had the crowd screaming at the top of their lungs.
The latter end of the set was brilliant. There was a great deal of new tracks performed, some sounding incredible. Fans will be eager for the releases of those in the near future. The pinnacle of the evening, though, was the group’s track ‘Butterflies’. This one really had the audience moving. It feels as though this could be the track that sees NRWO’S popularity skyrocket. Once again, it was an absurdly strong band performance that showed off each member completely smashing their own section, making for a great live sound.
The group were finished, but the crowd cheered for an encore… and they got what they asked for. A rendition of Kings of Leon’s ‘Sex On Fire’ was enough to quench the thirst of the Devizes crowd. This concluded a brilliant evening of music.
Nothing Rhymes With Orange should be incredibly proud of their work so far, with their Devizes gig being a real high point. Hopefully the great reception from those in attendance will be the fuel to spur the young lads onto whatever is next. Big things could be in store for the group, who seem to be going from strength to strength with no sign of slowing down.
Words: Matt Caslin
Photographs: Gail Foster
mpcaslinblog 