Sumo Cyco Have Something Truly Awesome

Canadian Punk/Metal Outfit Sumo Cyco recently graced the ever so humble Leicester Venue, The Shed, accompanied by some interesting support bands, giving us a performance to remember.

Paramore (or less), as you might expect, are a Paramore cover band. All four of the lads wore red jeans and black shirts, while our fake Hayley (let’s call her Kelly) wore black and white jeans with a Ramones top, to match what the original band wore during their 2011 Warped Tour run. The last few times I saw Paramore, I thought they sucked, so I stopped following them, but I’ll be the first to say they write some great music, and hearing it covered by Paramore Or Less was thoroughly enjoyable, reminiscent of a much simpler time.

Aside from what was a solid performance, the band’s most obvious mistake was when they were really out of time at the start of their set – during the intro to "Misery Business". The other negative aspect was Kelly tiring herself out and missing occasional notes, but fortunately for her, that only helped make it feel like a real Paramore show!

Leicester’s own Velocity look really, really young and initially seem like they’re only there to impress their friends. Didn’t take them long to prove me wrong though – apart from the bassist who looks like he’d rather be in school taking a math test, the quartet displayed significantly more confidence and positivity than any of the other support bands.

Playing a lot of covers from a wide range of influences; from Tina Turner to Green Day, from Bruno Mars to Bon Jovi, it was easy to see that the band took their position seriously, displaying some real talent. One of their original songs, "Demons", was actually really great – fast and choppy where it should be, and slow and melodic everywhere else, it successfully displayed the band’s own musical direction, all the while showcasing what singer Fionna is actually capable of. I’d love to see how Velocity would do if they played far from home, without having dozens of friends there to support them. Either way, the one thing that can’t be denied is that this band has huge potential.

The entire way through the previous band’s set, Sumo Cyco’s drummer could be seen at the side of the stage practicing his drumming, obviously keen to get going. A sign of his excitement and energy, Sumo Cyco waste no time getting started. Lead singer Skye “Sever” Sweetnam is a clear performer, and her natural stage presence quickly engaged what was a small, yet contented, crowd.

However, performance isn’t everything, and much to my surprise, Sever proved she’s got one hell of a singing voice to back it up. On top of that, the introduction to "Go Go Go" gave her the chance to showcase some shiver-inducing screams, which suit the band’s punk/metal-hybrid style of music perfectly. The wonderfully awkward moment of the night came when Sever walked round the crowd during "The Ugly", because peoples’ desire to avoid eye contact clearly conflicted with their goal of grabbing a selfie with the former teen pop-star.

Worth mention on a less serious note is the bassist, who has recently grown the single best beard I have ever seen. Countless individual curls make it look like an afro on his chin – outstanding.

"Crowd Control" is arguably the song in which Sever’s vocal range is best displayed. The bridge after the second chorus is an excellent place to see how she can so easily sound sweet and innocent one moment, then absolutely ferocious the next. Couple this vocal prowess and natural charisma with catchy riffs, contagious choruses and the overwhelming energy and passion of the quartet as a whole, and you have something truly awesome.

To find out more about Sumo Cyco
Click Here  To check out Sumo Cyco's Facebook Page
Click Here  Words by Blaine Marshall

COMMENTS

• Emily Kyne
  Sounds like a great gig