DEL AMITRI CLOSES OUT WINTERFEST ACTIVITIES -- by Samal Kahn
Saturday's Winterfest festivities were topped off with a
concert featuring two bands from both near and far.
Del Amitri, a band originally from Scotland, was the featured
act.
The Blacksburg quartet Midway was the opening band. Del Amitri remains a
fairly unknown band in Blacksburg.
Although their songs are radio friendly here, they are better
known in Europe.
The band was formed 12 years ago by the lead singer Justin
Currie, then 16.
The quintet, consisting of three Scots and two
English members, started off playing songs such as "Always the Last to Know"
from their earlier albums, Waking Hours (1990) and Change Everything (1992).
Then the band concentrated on songs from their latest album,
Twisted, such as "Here and Now," "Tell Her This," and "Roll to Me." The
latter is probably best known as their video with cool visual effects.
Although the audience hardly filled a third of Squire's
Commonwealth Ballroom, Currie wasn't disenchanted by the crowd's initial
lack of motion.
He moved along to his own sounds with his hair bobbing up and
down with the music. It took a couple of songs before the audience got
into the beat.
Lights and smoke filled the stage giving an MTV look to the band.
Twangy guitars accompanied by Currie's strong voice added a distinctive edge
to the lyrics and music.
Songs had up-tempo beats, snappy percussion and hard
guitar chords.
The band's European look and sound was obvious, with intelligent
mediodies sung along with quality lyrics.
Submitted by Diana Fry
Virginia Tech's Collegiate Times: Feb 27, 1996
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