Having never paid five quid for a
drink in my life, the evening did not get off to a
good start. However, A Girl Called Eddy's soothing
melodies calm my somewhat flustered persona.
Resting somewhere between Norah Jones and the
album fillers on the Bridget Jones soundtrack, the
British four-piece make an impressive debut at
Ronnie's, winning over a distracted crowd with their
mellow charm.
With one half of the headlining
duo taking to the stage in a Slayer T-shirt (surely a
first for Ronnie Scotts?!), it is clear from the
outset that this Mexican acoustic act aren't all that
meets the eye. Having given up their dreams of fame as
a Latin metal band, the sibling act decided to start
playing "background" music in beach hotels in 1998,
and the rest, as they say, is history.
With the opening song taking in
classic Latin rhythms, frantic fretboard chaos and
percussion courtesy of the guitar body it seems that this
rapt audience is in for a real treat. As the Mexican
virtuosos introduce a new piece, "Mr. Tang",
immortalising a "cray-zy" (pronounced in a Mexican
accent) taxi driver they encountered while touring
Singapore, there is a definite buzz through out the
packed crowd, who nod and tap along profusely.
Cheers engulf the club as the
infectious tune of Dave Brubeck's Take 5 drifts
through the PA and the pair then drop in a tribute
to their "metal" roots in the form of Metallica's One, complete with more guitar
percussion slapping, and rocking punters. Rodrigo is
adamant to clarify that he and his partner are...:
"... Not flamenco players. We do a
little flamenco, but I say we are not, because if
those real flamenco players thought we were... They
would kill us!" Point taken!
Next we are treated to a trio of
songs condensed into a beautiful medley: New One,
George Street and Safe. Gabriella introduces Diem as a
tribute to guitarist and composer, Dave Mustaine (of Megadeth fame)
which causes much less, yet just as passionate cries
of approval. As the first track from their official
debut Re-Foc (from the Spanish word for fire before
you start laughing!), Diem is undoubtedly the
highlight of the set, with impeccable timing,
sensational rhythm and blistering riffs being executed
by what sounds like twice the number of instruments.
Closing with the encore number
Foc, into which the riffs from The White
Stripes' Seven Nation Army and Metallica's
Enter Sandman are subtly placed, a standing ovation
occurs mid-song as all in view are captivated by the
sheer power and energy which erupts from the stage.
Not only are the ex-rockers able to hold this
exclusive venue's undivided attention with Pied Piper-like hypnosis, they can't half strum a six-string too!
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