Back Doune the Rabbit Hole

If for nothing else, the electro rock outfit EMF would be notable for the fact that they managed to achieve a huge hit single on both sides of the Atlantic - ‘Unbelievable’ topped the charts in the United States, and came in at number three in the UK - but even more interesting is that, technically speaking, the Gloucestershire outfit can also lay claim to having the song that is responsible for the most profanity ever broadcast on radio. During the chorus on ‘Unbelievable’, a constant shout of “what the f*ck was that?” can be heard in the background, and due to the unclear nature of the words uttered, it was never edited out - despite the fact that the CD booklet confirmed that those were indeed the words involved.
Just the fact that a band so open about the drug culture that inspired them could be such a success was incredible in itself (EMF apparently stood for, Ecstasy, Motherf*cker, From Us to You), and after fizzling out in the mid-nineties, they’ve continued to sporadically reform since to play shows to their still-existing cult fanbase; they certainly characterise that Madchester-style sound that was the staple of clubs around the country in the early nineties, so it’s little wonder there’s a nostalgia market for them to exploit.

Despite their name, there;s no discernible link between Utah Saints and the U.S. state from which they’ve taken their name; instead, they hail from Leeds, and are an electronic dance music duo who’ve been prominent in the genre since 1990. Over the course of an illustrious career to date, Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt have become well-known within their own scene and beyond for the manner in which they’ve brought sampling into the dance genre, often taking classic pop songs - like Kate Bush’s ‘Cloudbusting’ on their single ‘Something Good’ - and mashing them up against dance beats in order to present them in an entirely new context. For the first decade or so of their existence, Utah Saints played live shows with a full band, but despite maintaining a strong live following across Europe, they decided to move in a different direction in 2001, and since then have only performed in front of crowds as DJs. Not that that’s had an adverse effect on their live stock, though; their set at Wickerman Festival in Scotland in 2009 was so influential that it was nominated for a raft of festival awards that same year, and the pair continue to tour the UK and Europe frequently; they’re cult icons within their own scene.

Hailing from Brixton, England, since 1995, Alabama 3, also known as A3 in the United States, achieved great fame when the creators of the hit HBO original series, The Sopranos, decided to use their song "Woke Up This Morning" as the show's opening theme song. Covering a mixture of genres such as electronica, rock, blues, country and jazz, Alabama 3 can greatly and fully enthrall the audience.
On stage, the band is composed of eight members in total. Nick Reynolds AKA Harpo Strangelove delivers the rugged, blues-induced sounds of his harmonica throughout many songs. Rob Spragg AKA Larry Love and Jake Black AKA The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love deliver deep, enticing vocals and the lovely Aurora Dawn provides additional vocals. Mark Sams AKA Rock Freebase provides riveting guitar and bass guitar work while Orlando Harrison AKA The Spirit provides keyboard and keyboard bass. All of the members become readily unified on songs like "Too Sick To Pray" and "Keep Your Shades On" as all vocal parts are met in harmony with the rolling bass and beat underneath. These are powerful performances from the heart and soul and the audience can feel it through and through. Alabama 3 are absolutely legendary.

As a first-timer @ the Electric Carousel I thought it was an amazing place with a really dark but intimate feel to it. Fiona was a delight to all my senses and it was nice to hear her perform a new tune that wasn't on her album or Web. She had the room giggling with her quirky jokes between tunes and then mesmerised by her sound when performing. I've never seen an artist smile so much when singing and the event was a golden tonic to the soul. Really looking forward to seeing her play again and hearing some new material! :)

The band sounded great. The atmosphere was superb. My only complaint/disappointment was that they only played for an hour. I had hoped for much more, especially with their extensive back catalogue. I would have happily paid double or more if they had played for longer. An intermission would have made it less arduous on the band and helped bar sales.
I will still go and see them again if I have the opportunity