Victory Beat  - Live Review

Hailing from Redditch are 6 young chaps that go by the name of Victory Beat. Taking to the stage in support of their esteemed local peers Pegasus Bridge tonight, the quintet-turned-sextet skyrocketed into what turned out to be an energetic and thoroughly enjoyable set with a cover of MGMT’s synth-lead hit ‘Kids’. In terms of line-up structure they resemble the likes of Forever The Sickest Kids, a band they cite as a musical influence, but thankfully Victory Beat naturally avoid the overly sugary tendencies of their American counter-parts.

For a band of just 7 months, Victory Beat’s on-stage demeanour tonight was commanding and quite frankly, impressive. This could explain why they are already turning heads, or ears, and making waves in their local music scene. Their music is an infectious smile that transcends from stage to crowd like a pleasant, synth-laden strain of a highly contagious disease that invokes involuntary dancing. Don’t worry, it's a common side effect upon hearing Victory Beat’s guitar driven electro-pop rock.

A 3 track EP, entitled ‘Keep It Dark’, is currently available for free via the band. Anybody’s Enemy, a track featured on the aforementioned EP, is notably promising. This apparent ode to the cantankerous friend or acquaintance that we all have at one point or another already stands out as a live favourite for the ‘geeks for victory beat’, those who support the band. The spores of Anybody’s Enemy’s chorus will be firmly fixed in your head after only a couple of listens. So much so, you’ll probably find yourself admitting ‘I can’t take it’ before too long.

A great rendition of recently recorded track ‘Public In Privacy’ towards the latter end of their short set tonight signalled progression into a potentially heavier sound for Victory Beat. A progression that could see the band’s sound moving closer to rock than it currently is. If Victory Beat stay ambitious, maintain their live confidence and keep progressing musically, I have a feeling that they could well be on to something here!