Bear's Den

There's not a lot I can say about these guys other than I absolutely love them. Whilst working at the O2 Arena I heard them warm-up for Mumford & Sons and fell in love with their harmonies. Ever since I've been waiting for the chance to see them again and finally, the day came.

Support act Alex Vargas melted me with his incredible voice - bought his CD as soon as I'd heard his first track. What a talent, can't wait to see where he goes next. He was followed by 'Rukhsana Merrise' who I wasn't convinced by if I'm honest. Her voice sounded a little nasally and I wasn't entirely sure of her lyrics, mainly as there was no diction. But then, I was there for Bear's Den, so it passed the time whilst I was waiting I guess.


And then it came, the music slowly built,

BEAR'S DEN

the audience filtered closer to the stage

BEAR'S DEN

the lights got brighter

and then BOOM -

BEAR'S DEN.

The boys kept true to their spirit, performing a mix of tracks from their first EP 'Islands' and ending on a cover. They stuck to their folky roots and treated us to two acoustic performances, during which - the bar was closed - which shows just how unequivocal their magic is. The first used just a single mic onstage. For the second 'Bad Blood', the boys came out into the crowd and surrounded themselves with their fans - calming the entire of Shepherd's Bush Empire to silence after a stunning crowd participation with 'the clap (no not that kind) and a rendition of 'Agape'. The set even included some epic base distortion 'Sahara' and some sensational horns 'Think of England' and 'Elysium'.

It was impressive to see such a gathering of fans who really knew the music. It always feels great as a fan when you book tickets to a see a band that none of your friends have heard of and you turn up and are surrounded by other people like you, who can sing along to the lyrics with you. The strength of that was obvious in the boy's home-coming gig from their European tour. Even BBC Radio1's Greg James and one of my favourite actors Kris Marshall turned out to see them play - although I didn't want to be that kid that drew attention to them.

Their confidence in their own music and the vibe you get as a fan is just incredible. They are down to earth, charismatic, original, authentic chaps with a love for beautiful music and good lighting design. I can't wait to see where they go next and I think it's pretty safe to say, I'll go there too! Bring on the next album boys!

Find out more about 'Bear's Den' and their magical music here: http://www.bearsdenmusic.co.uk/store/