Last night I got myself down to one of Dreamland’s Sunset Sessions, set in the staging area (in the middle of the “friendliest food court ever”) the sun casting orange hues over the grass as ciders were being passed from friend to friend and shapes were starting to be thrown amidst the noise of the DJ.
Having heard of Sam and the Womp, formed back in 2009, from their smash electro-dance hit, ‘Bom Bom’ back in 2012, I wasn’t sure what to expect from their live performance. The debut single went to the No. 1 spot in the UK Singles Chart and has sold over a million copies worldwide.
So, how do you get down to a ska, Balkan, pop band with a beautiful brass section? The answer is, you womp.
The minute they floated out onstage an atmosphere was set, with eager crowds lining the barrier, young faces adorned with glitter ready for the rave that was to come. Throughout the night the band carried a wonderful sense of energy with every song they performed; ‘Gypsy In The Snow’ a song frontman Sam Ritchie described as “one of their slower songs” still gave cause to dance and crowd participation as we all sang out the booming La’s of its chorus.
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The brass section was big, bold and beautiful yet no one remained stationary, from trumpet to saxophone all band members engaged in the wonderful womp dance move, which only sky rocketed the crowd’s energy further. Building up anticipation to “the song you all know” when ‘Bom Bom’ was finally played it seemed nobody in the whole of Dreamland could stand still. The whole field became one big impromptu rave to the stand out sound of lead vocalist Bloem de Wilde de Lighy (a.k.a Bloom), coloured lights pulsating over the glorious spectacle.
‘East Meets West’ kept the dance moves flowing, the lyrics quirky and infectious as with all their material: an extension of their unique talent of blending the electronic with the brass and bass.
Sam and the Womp are a musical gem, with new material under their belt and a sound just as strong as it was when it first emerged, their live shows prove an immersive experience and one that you should see.
You can connect with Sam and the Womp on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Grace Mitchell
