Ray Mann Three and Briscoe at Good God Small Club, 16/2/12

All the way from Berlin, Ray Mann Three reunite to present a wicked show to a full house at Good God Small Club. Supported by the charismatic Briscoe and a non-stop-dancing set from DJ Nick La Rosa, it was definitely a night to remember.

It’s been a year since Ray Mann relocated to Berlin but he’s back, touring his ‘Sketches’ project which involves audience participation to produce videos and artwork around a song idea. The end result is a whole song and video made completely from the genuine interaction between artist and audience.

Always one to stay current and an enthusiastic explorer of sound, Ray combines art, music and social networking to expand his repertoire and create a thriving hive around music. An artist of exceptional skill but one that is fluid; never one to be held down by genre despite the industrys need to typecast artists and their sound. And yes I am guilty of such ideas but it is a fact, Ray Mann writes incredible soul music but his drive is most definitely indie.

The night welcomes you in with some old school Rock’n'Roll, spun by DJ Nick La Rosa. A slow start to the night but you can feel your hips twitching to the music. Oh yeah, just try and not dance to it.

The room filled up quickly as Briscoe started setting up on stage. Briscoe is a project by Bart Denaro, drummer of now defunct Kid Confuscious. Having only released two songs, ‘Animal’ and ‘Day Job’, the band was still quite mysterious. The songs fall into the ’90s pop rock category inspired by the ’60s sounds with harmonies not far from the likes of The Kinks or The Byrds.

The 6-piece, armed with tribal inspired face paint, launched into their set with full force, the vibe was fun, unified and contagious. Apart from playing their singles and more poppier numbers there were a couple of songs that reminded me of Blue Oyster Cult or something you could have heard on the Donnie Darko soundtrack.

All up the set was lots of fun, luscious with some great dynamics, their guitarist pulling some cool sounds despite having sound issues in the beginning. Ah the joys of a thousand pedals…

I’m really looking forward to the album due out in May this year as I would love to know the names of these contagious songs. It’s the sort of stuff I thought Richard In Your Mind were heading towards but instead went towards a dreamy, psychedelic direction for their latest album.

There was one thing I didn’t understand. The potato sitting on top of the keyboardists synthesisor. No one mentioned it. It just sat there. Lucky potato? Band mascot? We may never know.

With DJ Nick La Rosa back on the decks playing a mix of hip hop, R&B and funk mashed together into the ultimate dance song, the room was brimming with friends, fans and music industry types. No business here. Purely just for pleasure.

Rays artwork, now a prominent feature at his gigs, is projected on the back of the stage setting up the warm atmosphere. Ray starts off the set solo with a song from his ‘Sketches’ project, ‘Move’. For an artist that has supported Al Green, Roy Ayres and Tori Amos to name a few, his stage presence is humble but with an assertiveness that is very becoming. And with a voice as smooth as Marvin Gaye, his charm is limitless.

Joined onstage by bassist Joel and drummer Ross (also of Briscoe), Ray Mann Three revisit the last record with ‘Hook Me Up’, a ridiculously catchy hit that demand the audience to reach for their keys and join in on percussion. As always, the band is tight and punchy with a goove that is irresistable.

The set was a mix of Ray Mann Threes last record such as ‘Feel So Good’ and ‘Smile’ and songs from Rays ‘Sketches’ project, ‘Babylon’ and Who’s Loving You’, which feature on the latest EP of the aforementioned project. With a few psychedelic jams in between to show off their skills, they are never self-indulgent but entertaining and so frickin’ tight. Ross and Joel never miss a beat which gives rise to their phat grooves and highlights their exceptional skill.

The crowd danced vigorously to the catchy sounds as the projections somehow incorprated the bands shadows, making them seem more animated than they were. The time went fast and came to a sudden stop as the band took a break to sort out sound issues.

A quick drink break and the band is back to play a couple of more songs which included ‘Opa Opa’, one of their signiture hits that combine funky rhythms and the best hooks. A good show is never complete without an encore. The spectacular set ends with the gentle, sweet sounds of ‘Night With You’, which has some of the most beautiful chords I’ve ever heard.

‘Tis a pity it was a school night, as the night ended way too early, a small crew of dancers kept the night alive a little longer with some frenzied dancing to DJ Nick La Rosas live hip hop and rock mash-ups.

Great set from up-and-coming band Briscoe and thank you for coming back to visit Ray. Maybe we’ll move to Berlin one day. Looks like all the cool musos are living there!

For more info on Ray Manns ‘Sketches’ project and to participate head to http://www.ray-mann.com. For more articles on Ray head here. Ray’s only here until mid March so catch him when you can!

Photos by Katja Liebing (Blue Moon Photography). Check out the rest of the photos here.