On Monday 24th October, the Exeter Corn Exchange was truly the place to be. Spectacular performances were to be had from Ben McKelvey and aliensdontringdoorbells, who were playing in support of the ‘She’s So Lovely’ legends Scouting For Girls. The tour was the 10-year anniversary of their iconic album, ‘Everybody Wants To Be On TV’.
Ben McKelvey, an Oxford-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, perfectly opened the night for everyone last Monday. McKelvey created a vibrant atmosphere that had the whole room dancing and singing along to his Gerry Cinnamon-esque demeanour, especially to his cover of Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring Of Fire’. As a warm-up act, Ben did an incredible job electrifying and preparing the audience for what was to come.
Then came the highlight of the night, aliensdontringdoorbells, a relatively new three-piece band with roots in the UK, US and The Bahamas. Joined by bassist Earl Forbes, and drummer Kevi Dean, the band blew the roof off the venue with their awe-inspiring 30-minute set.
As the band walked out onto the stage, a thunderous guitar riff was blasted from the amplifiers. The rest of the band then came in and the music completely took over, the sound filled the entirety of the room. Opening with their heavier, guitar-driven blues-rock track, ‘Consummation’, the Aliens blew the audience away and keyboardist and guitarist battled out exhilarating solos that complemented each other the whole way through. Adam King as vocalist and frontman held the audience in his hands, with captivating stage presence and refreshing melodic lines, creating a full immersive experience for everyone.
Being many people’s first post-covid gig back after a 2-year void of no live music, the aliens created a night to remember with their astounding set. Playing songs off of their debut album, such as ‘Daylight’ and ‘The Heart Is In Her Eyes’ as well as their captivating single, ‘Story’, they then closed their riveting set with their groundbreaking track, ‘Slipping Away’. aliensdontringdoorbells came to warm up the audience for Scouting For Girls, and not only did they successfully achieve this, but they might have the beginnings of what promises to be a stellar career in the future as well…