Packing nine musicians onto the compact stage at Edinburgh’s Cabaret Voltaire is no mean feat, but once they were in position the Youngblood Brass Band proceeded to blow the roof off this little venue.
Comprising of two trumpets, two trombones, three drummer/percussionists, a tenor sax, a sousaphone (that just has to be heard live to be believed) and an MC, the Youngbloods blend a fusion of jazz, ska, latin, hip-hop and rap that few contemporaries would even contemplate, never mind manage to pull off.
Opening with the funky, head-bopping instrumental ‘Brooklyn’, the Youngbloods hit the ground running, and then proceeded to stun the crowd for the next ninety minutes with, in the main, a selection of material taken from their new album, ‘Is That A Riot’.
Hugely influenced by the New Orleans brass sound, such as The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and The Hot 8 Brass Band, the Wisconsin-born Youngbloods have managed to develop their own sound, mainly due to the Zak De La Rocha sound-alike vocals of MC Dave Henzie Skogen.
Early highpoints included the new album’s title track, and the riotous, political new single ‘Nuclear Summer’. But it was in the softer moments, such as the jazz infused ‘Ake’, that allowed the musicians to move freely and show off their incredible virtuosity.
This year’s T On The Fringe has certainly delivered many musical highlights to Edinburgh’s discerning audiences, among them some of today’s most popular acts, but I doubt if any of those performances could reach the heights of the Youngblood Brass Band. Fuckin’ brilliant.
