One way in which we consume music that has changed in pandemic times is the greater availability of online gigs.
From singer-songwriters in their bedrooms filming themselves on their mobile ‘phones to more established stars performing in large venues and captured on hi-res cameras. Having seen many different types of bands and music via the online gig medium, I was interested to see how Insides would do.
Insides new album, Soft Bonds, is a meditative exploration of less is more, Watching their set beamed from St George’s Church, a fine if lesser-known venue of the Brighton music scene, gave us a visual accompaniment to this.
Visuals courtesy of Innerstrings framed the band in hues of greens, reds and purples and images redolent of nature and the band themselves, morphed and reconfigured. A church is an almost too perfect setting for music based on sounds used wisely and sparingly.
Of all the online shows I’ve seen, the music and atmosphere conveyed here worked the best in this medium.
Whilst gig going is about sensory and other delights above and beyond the music, what Insides have given us is an experience which presents their beautiful and fragile music in a way which leaves a lasting memory and provides solace and escapism for a time. In these times, that’s all we can ask for.
Plugged In Brighton 