Nine Black Alps

Orlando, FL • March 24, 2006

Jen Cray

A modest turnout for Manchester’s Nine Black Alps made for a wonderfully intimate five-song set by the band, at Orlando’s Park Ave. CDs. The acoustic late afternoon performance was an appetizer for their plugged-in set that evening at The Social, opening for UK’s South.

“We’re usually a loud, rock ‘n’ roll band,” singer/guitarist Sam Forrest announces as he steps onto the small stage with an acoustic guitar.

What followed was about 20 minutes of unplugged grunge-inspired British indie rock. And now maybe it was Forrest’s flannel-clad, shaggy-haired, shy-eyed appearance that provoked it, but I couldn’t help but get nostalgic with thoughts of Nirvana’s glorious Unplugged performance from over a decade ago.

The band played “Get Your Guns,” “Unsatisfied,” “Cosmopolitan” and two other selections off their just released debut Everything Is. The production, stripped down to just the basics (with drummer James Galley keeping rhythm with an egg shaker, and guitarist David Jones and bassist Martin Cohen taking turns backing up Forrest on guitar), took none of the flair away from the songs and instead added layers of emotion that usually get buried under guitars on the record.

After their short but sweet set, they stuck around to sign autographs, pose with fans, and even grant me a quick impromptu photo session outside of the store.

Nine Black Alps: http://www.nineblackalps.net/ ◼