The Carnabys at the Barfly

Richmond band The Carnabys won the London leg of the Battle of the Bands competition and has since been praised all over the Internet. They are now gaining a big following through frequent live shows, with a recent European summer tour and a show at the Barfly last night launching their new single, The Pocket.

The music stemming from these London lads is like a cleaner, smoother Hard-Fi with a Wombats coat and also, at times, a lightly math rock-influenced Jason Mraz. Their sound does not have the uniqueness of a future icon, but it is pleasant. They are clearly talented musicians with hit-creating potential; the tunes are easy on the ear, but catchy, and could attract a broad audience.

The Carnabys’ pacy set really gets the crowd going. With The Pocket, older songs they have been playing for years and a Stone Roses cover, the full club space at Barfly is swinging to the fast beats. No one can accuse this band of being stiff – the lead singer makes it his business to party with the audience. He, together with the rest of the band, delivers an exciting and energetic show. At one point he jumps into the crowd to wildly dance with his fans. When he comes back up on the stage he lets loose a peal of laughter that keeps going until the band leaves the stage.

These boys’ music has been done before, and it is not exactly a genre-defying new song, but they manage to compensate with their strong scene presence and attitude only a teenage rock band can have. We’ll see if the future for The Carnabys is a bright as it seems.

Johanna Eliasson
Photo: Gabrielle Aybram

For further information and future events visit the Carnabys’ website here.

Listen to The Pocket here: