Vocal harmony group The Overtones have been forging their own path in the music industry since they arrived on the scene with debut album Good Ol’ Fashioned Love in 2010. Since then the band has released another three studio albums – Higher, Saturday Night at the Movies and Sweet Soul Music – all of which have followed Good Ol’ Fashioned Love by charting straight in the UK Top 10. The Overtones released their latest album Sweet Soul Music earlier this year, and it sees the band paying homage to their soul roots with a collection of covers mixed with a handful of originals. In support of the album the band is currently on the road for a UK theatre tour and last night they arrived at the seaside town of Folkestone to perform at Leas Cliff Hall.
The show opened with Get Ready, taken from Sweet Soul Music, and the band performed their socks off for the next 100 minutes. The setlist boasted a mix of songs taken from all four of their albums along with a cover of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ smash hit Uptown Funk. Decked out in their trademark suits, and looking sharp as hell, The Overtones know what it takes to put on a live performance and last night they definitely didn’t disappoint.
Throughout the evening the band entertained with fan favourites such as Gambling Man, Keep Me Hanging On and Runaround Sue. They really shined on their original tracks including the gorgeous Giving Me Soul, the uptempo Moving On and Sweet Soul Music’s lead single Something Good. In between songs the band bantered with the audience and during the show they helped a man from the audience propose to his girlfriend, brought five fans up on stage for one song and departed the stage to sing whilst moving through the audience.
The highlight of the evening was a section in the middle of the show where the band crowded around a single mic to perform a selection of acapella songs. Before launching into the segment the band explained that they recorded the Sweet Soul Music with all of them singing into one mic and they wanted to recreate that for the audience in a live environment. It certainly didn’t disappoint as the band performed Blue Moon, Bare Necessities, the audience requested Sh-Boom and The Glory of Love.
What always sets The Overtones apart from everyone else is their vocal ability. Both as a unit and individually, they are always extremely tight and their vocals are flawless. The acapella section really let you hear how they harmonise together and it showcased the magic that happens when they come together. Each of the give guys – Darren Everest, Mike Crawshaw, Lachie Chapman, Timmy Matley and Mark Franks – has a distinctive voice and they each got chance to shine by taking on lead vocals throughout the evening.
An evening with The Overtones is always an evening well spent. Four albums into their career and the band just gets better and better. They don’t need gimmicks and expensive production, all they need is their voices and they completely wow a crowd. Last night’s show saw them pack in an incredible amount of songs and when it came time to bid adieu after Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, we and the rest of the audience weren’t ready to let them go. Come back soon boys!
