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The 7th Annual BritWeek Los Angeles launched last week with an exclusive Red Carpet Reception at the British Consul General’s Residence in Hancock Park. Now while that sounds like a ball, I was more interested in hearing artists from the UK perform at various venues across the city. Though I didn’t make it to everything, I was fortunate enough to catch some great performances at The Echo on Friday night. What better way to celebrate creativity and innovation between Britain and California than by rocking out to some of the best up & coming artists from the UK?
Pop Noir kicked off the evening with their disco-like rhythms and upbeat electric guitar riffs. They reminded me of Franz Ferdinand with a bit of a David Bowie feel. They were energetic and always had the crowd bobbing their heads and tapping their feet, some people even dared to dance in public! That’s right, things were getting out of hand and they weren’t even the headliners. Pop Noir consists of Joe and Luke McGarry, who are now based in Huntington Beach, CA. Joe sings and controls samples, beats, and synths. Luke lays it down on the guitar and plays a huge role in bringing an overall indie rock sound into the picture. They had a drummer with them for this show, which was a great addition to the electronic elements that they had implemented so well into their live performance.
The evening was then brought down from a dance party into a very relaxed, introspective environment as songwriter Andy Burrows took the stage with only his voice and his acoustic guitar. It’s hard to pin point exactly who he sounded like, which is frustrating, but also really cool. What I can say is that he is very talented, not only as a singer, but as a lyricist as well. Burrows, who grew up in Winchester England, began his musical journey as a percussionist for the Hampshire County Youth Band, then later on for Razorlight, and more recently for the well-known act We Are Scientists. This definitely comes through in his ability to make the audience feel like there is more going on than just a man with his guitar. It also helps knowing that his newest album release Company was recorded and fully produced with a band.
Lastly, and this is definitely one of those best for last type of things, came The Veils! They were the perfect headliners and closers to an evening like this. It was an 
incredible 7-piece band, including a small horn section, keyboard player, two guitarists, bass player, and drummer. I was not expecting a trumpet and trombone player, which got me really excited from the get-go. Everyone in the band was really talented, well-rehearsed, and definitely seasoned musicians. Let’s not forget that while The Veils’ new album Time Stays, We Go has largely broadened their fan base, they have previously released four albums through the mid-to-late 2000’s. This means they know how to consistently make relevant music and consequently grow and development their sound as a band. This was one of the best shows I’ve seen at The Echo and definitely made them one of my new favorites, not just from the UK, but in general.
Do yourself a favor and be sure check out The Veils, Andy Burrows, and Pop Noir on their respective websites and social media pages. Whenever they’re back playing shows around town, I strongly suggest you try to make it out and support them. It’s a win-win, they get to keep playing awesome music and you get to experience a solid live show!
