5/5/2013 - Part 2: Maleficent @ The Barfly

Subject	Maleficent @ The Barfly
DateCreated	6/11/2013 2:05:00 PM
	Part 2. After a fun evening at the Dublin Castle I'm off up Chalk Farm Road to another gig. The Jubilee Club @ The Barfly usually takes place on Friday nights, but as this is a Bank Holiday weekend there is an extra one this Sunday night. No need to rush home early with no work to worry about in the morning so I find myself at The Barfly watching Maleficent. This band always provide an entertaining show with their dual vocal attack and dynamic stage presence. Maleficent have bee steadily evolving for several years now and their mixture of Goth, classical dance, industrial, and hard rock has grown more polished. There is always plenty happening on stage, and the music has become harder hitting with far more being played live instead of the earlier reliance on (often unreliable) digital technology. It's obvious a lot of work and thought has gone into the show, with the musicians also taking their part in providing a memorable spectacle. The performance is very theatrical at times and you really feel you are watching a 'performance' instead of just people standing there playing music. The band's stage presence and performance is very intense and there is no way you can get bored watching Maleficent. There is definitely no other band around like this - the mixture of rock sounds and ballet inspired dance moves makes for a show you will remember for a long time. It will be interesting to hear how the band's forthcoming album will sound - I would imagine there will be some good video to accompany it.