What Now at The Black Heart, June 1st 2013.

What Now are a London based rock band made up of Adam Jenkins on drums, Tyron Layley on bass/vocals and Ryan 'Eyeliner Boy' Morris on guitar/vocal. Their album Move Like A Sinner was released earlier this year by Hey & Argh Records. 

Setlist

Money Maker

If Looks Could Kill

High Class

I Want My Blood

Jackson

Move Like A Sinner

Should've Said So

Lovers & Liars

Hailing originally from Dolphin Coast, South Africa, What Now are a three piece rock band who followed their passion and love for music by moving thousands of miles away from their friends and families to London, giving up a life filled with sunshine, sea and surf in order to pursue their dreams of making it in the music industry. After a brief hiatus they rejoin each other in 2009 and began

They were the third band of the day on at The Black Heart for the Camden Rocks Festival and truth be told I'd not really listened to them before. I'd found them on facebook, listened to the track If Looks Could Kill from their band page and decided that I'd see them over the other 11 bands playing at that time as their blend of what appeared to be electro rock was very catchy and even made me want to start dancing. 

The first thing that struck me as different was that the bassist was also the singer, in part mind you as Ryan does his fair share too with both having equally strong voices as each other. Both Ryan and Tyron's vocals work in perfect unison with each other, but at the same time one of them covers the high notes and one the low providing greater range and variety to their songs. There is something about Tyron's voice that seems to linger with the listener though, so it came as no surprise to me that he was the predominate voice on Move Like A Sinner, their latest and by far sexiest song they have released to date. 

One thing that was missing from the performance however, that I would have liked to have heard was the keyboard. Probably not included as it was a small stage and quick turnaround between bands was essential for the festival to stay on target. However, the use of the keyboard was what had given them the electro rock sound I'd been attracted to, it was the element that gave them an edge over the other acts, without it they sounded like a heavier version of The Subways. (After originally writing this I discovered they are opening for The Subways in Poland!)

Overall it was a successful show, it was still only three in the afternoon so the crowd was not as large as it could have been with about 30-40 people gathered but What Now gave it their all. Adam especially seemed to be throwing out enthusiasm with his heavy beats, what the sticks looked like afterwards I can only imagine! As with any band playing earlier in the day, they had 30 minutes in which to shine but they managed to squash in 8 tracks and I'd happily see them again to hear more.