Delightfully secluded from a chaotic Saturday afternoon in Goodramgate, Holy Trinity Church prepared to welcome the self proclaimed “sexiest soul band in York.“
The Blazers, who consist of Daisy Kennedy, Lily Jamieson, Arthur Frost, Jacob Giles Spreadborough, Kuba Lambert, and Tom Layton, emanated a sense of calmness throughout the gig, a calmness which beautifully paralleled the tranquillity of the venue.
For the Blazers, Holy Trinity Church was another addition to the ever growing list of venues they have performed in, a list which already includes The Fulford Arms, Micklegate Social and Sotanos. Following the performance, supported by fellow band Little Sister, vocalist Daisy Kennedy explained the logic behind choosing the 800 year old church for their first headline gig, stating that “we wanted somewhere that really radiates sex appeal.”
With its box pews, charmingly uneven floor, and candlelit rows, Holy Trinity’s secluded beauty proved to perfectly frame the band’s endearing performance of soulful love songs.
The Blazers are undoubtedly a band who have mastered the art of stagecraft, with the performance appearing effortlessly alluring. This comes as no surprise, with Guitarist Tom stating that the band rehearse “three days a week for three hours at a time.”
Their time rehearsing is immediately discernible, with each band member performing their respective role to perfection.
Arthur clarified, “I’ve developed telekinesis with Tom, that always helps!”
The band, however, made it clear that music wasn’t their only commitment, with Daisy stating that “it doesn’t have to be everything” in order to be enjoyable.
Tom added “we really enjoy doing it, we love doing it and we work hard at it but we’ve all got other things going on.”
Immediately following the performance, Lily stated that “we all love soul music,” with this love distinguishable in their performance and stage presence.
The band’s sexy, secluded and passionate performance clearly struck a chord with the onlooking audience, with the beauty of both the venue and music inspiring affection from members of the crowd. During the band’s cover of Back on 74 by Jungle, the audience left the box pews and joyfully danced in the aisle of the church, spurred on to do so by the support act, Little Sister. Having never had electricity installed, the Church relied on candles to illuminate the venue, which only added to the intimate and romantic aura the band had so carefully crafted.
In what proved to be a profoundly alluring, passionate and effortless performance, The Blazers brought life to one of York’s most beautiful and historic buildings. For one evening, Holy Trinity Church was transformed into the “sexiest” venue York has to offer. The electric guitars, amplifiers and microphones atop the 12th century flooring proved to be a beautifully oxymoronic picture, one which both honoured and continued the historical relevance of Holy Trinity Church.
The Blazers ended their set with a cover of Marvin Gaye’s Lets Get it On, a touching end to the band’s first headline gig.
The Blazers next performance is at The Fulford Arms on Friday the 24th of May, with the band’s drummer Arthur and Jacob imploring fans to watch out for The Blazers on Spotify in anticipation for the future release of music.
Thank you to Helen, Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate, for the information. The Church is open Wednesday to Sunday for the Public.