REVIEW - Mog & The Water Tribe - Sound it Out, Stockton

The Hartlepool band celebrated the release their new album, Astronaut Ghost, with a special live performance at Sound It Out records in Stockton-On-Tees, which gained national recognition after featuring in a documentary film about the shop.

Astronaut Ghost is a excellent example of contemporary, progressive rock, which has been under going somewhat of a renaissance on the British music scene of late.

And the four-piece group treated the packed record store to a stripped down, acoustic-based performance to the best songs from the album.

Kicking off with the title track, singer Phil Swinburne was in fine voice, ably abetted by the harmonies of guitarist Lewis Richardson and backing vocalist Clair Jewson.

Voices mean a lot to this band, they even have a song called The Voice, which features the pleading refrain “Where is the light that shines over me”.

The anti-war sentiments of Water Tribe are echoed on Emotional Refugee and a final, closing Not in My Name, much to the delight of a thrilled Teesside audience.

Mog & The Water Tribe are certainly different from most bands in the region at the moment and deserve recognition. Check them out at http://leyrich.wix.com/mog-site

- Ian Monaghan