Caravan Palace – Live Review
If you love Boomtown Festival and the feel of really niche, exciting talent quite unlike anything in the UK charts then you will adore Caravan Palace! The French six piece electro swing group had a cultural, sexy air about them with a unique sense of fun. The Trinity Centre was adorned with sequins, stars and love-hearts and was buzzing with the excitement of the crowd, dressed up to the nines in their flapper and dapper gear dancing as the support act Electric Swing Circus graced the stage in elegant attire and sang beautiful harmonies to the sound of the double-bass, synth and jazz guitars, the night had a fantastically sophisticated atmosphere.
As the lights went down at the arrival of Caravan Palace you could practically hear the buzz of anticipation in the air, pierced as the crowd grew by the shrill sound of whistles and screaming, it was obvious that Caravan Palace were a much loved band. The band bounced onto stage full of energy and started the gig with Suzy, a song about “swinging dreams” immediately engaging the crowd into just what was about to come. Combining gypsy jazz and electro swing perfectly, with the sexy, seductive tones of Sonia Fernandez Velasco fitting together with the iconic mix of woodwind, string and brass instruments, Caravan Palace produced something that can only be described as more than music. There was a theatrical feel to the performance with Sonia changing outfits three times and dancing with the crowd in time with the flashing lights and music that was both modern electro based and old-fashioned sophisticated. By the time of the encore Caravan Palace were back with Brotherswing, another popular song and the crowd had gone wild, up on stage with the band, looking as though they wanted the night to go on forever. It was impossible to have a bad time at Caravan Palace’s gig! It was certainly an entertaining night, reminiscent of arty boroughs of London mixed with slow dreamy French jazz music; an eclectic night, with something for everyone.
Review by Tara Evans
