Eagled eyed visitors will recognise the name Hijack Stories, from back in April. They were the band that I had tickets to see…sat in my office while I was at home. I did eventually see them in August when they played the Camden Barfly. It was a good gig with my only complaint at the time being the brevity of the set.
Scott, the bass player, advised me then that the band were going to be working on an EP and the next time I saw them there’d be more material. That was something to look forward to and so it was when Hijack Stories announced the launch of their EP would be at 333 Mother bar in Shoreditch on Saturday 26 October 2013. I was fortunate enough to be invited along and arrived in time to watch The Black Fields who were pretty good except for one slightly annoying factor…the lead singer insisted on singing with a ‘Suthrn drawl.
It wasn’t long before Hijack Stories were onstage, the sound guy looked like he had wandered out of the pages of Viz; beer gut, ill fitting guns n roses t-shirt, greasy pony tail and the stock answer that whatever didn’t work was the users fault.
As soon as Gareth started to sing I turned to my friends and said, “the sound is very muffled, this guy has one helluva set of lungs on him.” As it transpired there was a problem with a bit of kit not being plugged in, the Viz sound guy did tell my friend what it was but I wasn’t paying much attention. I was busy marveling at the soundproofing in the bar.
The walls were covered in a thick piled carpet and the ceiling above the band was covered with condensed foam of what looked like 3 or 4 inches thick. Suddenly the muffled sound made sense, a few minutes later however and the sound was properly blaring out. Gareth has stage presence to match his vocal output, there is no doubt about that. What’s refreshing is there doesn’t appear to be any obvious attempt at hogging the limelight.
The friends who I’d taken who had never heard of the band before were very impressed as was I. The new tracks on the EP are excellent and I’m hard pressed to pick a favourite. However I can tell you that each morning when I leave the house, I do so to the strains of Lion Heart. The 4 minute stroll to the bus stop gets me quite energised, Scott described it as a red bull track, I know exactly what he means. It’s a great track for getting ready to go out, actually the entire EP is and here’s the first bit of good news, Hijack Stories are happy for you to download the EP from their website free of charge.
Now, if you’re still reading you’re in for a bit of an exclusive treat. Hijack Stories, being the artistic types that they are, were inspired to make a music video for their track Lion Heart using GoPro cameras and I’m pleased to say this is where the second bit of good news comes into play, this is the only place where you’ll find the video for now. Have a watch and let me know what you think in the comments below. Did you feel pumped up and ready to go or was your get up and go long gone leaving just a whiff of suntan lotion in it’s wake?
Lion Heart from Hijack Stories the password to view it is omneoexclusivo
Hijack Stories are: Gareth, vocals. Remy, guitar and piano. Scott, bass and Cormac, drums. They’re making the music they believe in and that shows from their performances, catch them live and be prepared to become a fan before you arrive home.
Hijack Stories are playing live on Saturday 16 November at the Enterprise in Camden, tickets are £5.78. Alternatively you can catch them on Saturday 14 December at The Workshop on Old Street where tickets are £6.80.
