Did you feel the magic?

If you were at The Assembly last night, you certainly did. We were all part of it, surrounded by it.

aKING opened with a spell-binding acoustic set - the stage was certainly set for awesomeness. But what followed was a three-piece band of beautious melodic rock music that took us on a journey much like Carl Cox would create an aural pathway on which to float, taking us towards turns and twists, keeping us in a steady state of awareness until the next subliminal crescendo capped the moment! Enter Civil Twilight!

Lead singer Steven McKellar played a piano in parts, adding a timeless quality to their incredible sound. And with Steven looking strangely similar to the one and only Edward - it seems fitting that they chose a name so aptly aligned to the zeitgiest and the google antics of their demographic!

The sound behind the name is a fusion somewhere between Snow Patrol, Muse and Kings of Leon - and yet it was completely their own Civil Twilight creation - and most definitely of international stadium standards!

In fact, I count myself very lucky to have seen this show - and especially lucky for scoring last minute tickets (hugest thanks to Ant Martin and Julia!) since this gig was super sold out (with a queue of about 150 still trying to get in!)! I put my words firmly in digital ink that - although already based in the States and obviously doing well for themselves - 'Civil Twilight will soon be the global SA rock music flagship band, doing sold-out stadium tours of the States, followed by a sizeable world tour to share the Civil Twilight sound with the world!' They are just that good. But more than good, their music makes you feel something! Its music to listen to in so many situations and circumstances, and with lyrics that can be interpreted and analysed a thousand times over in different life phases.

Steven's brother, Andrew McKellar, also added something incredibly special by playing his guitar with a violin bow - the ethereal effect touched everyone in The Assembly last night!

Their own songs stand seven feet above the ground, each one as head-high, chest-out proud as the next... so when the Massive Attack cover of Teardrop kicked in, I wasn't sure what to expect of a song not their own...! Well, I don't know how long the version went on for - it certainly felt like forever as they stretched it out, slowed it down and isolated each of the instruments before adding them back in one at a time, Civil Twilight style - but I do know that I didn't want the song to stop! As Simon Cowell would say if this was X Factor - 'Civil Twilight made that song 1000% their own!'

WOW! WOW! WOW! I want to go back and do last night all over again! The Assembly was also a marvellous venue, so I shall be back for more of that. And as soon as Civil Twilight play again - London or SA - I certainly won't have to be asked twice! 

Rock on Civil Twilight,
x

PS. And who ever was responsible for the video visuals - a massive well done to you! Those were outstanding!