#pizzaexpressholborn

[arizonacolleen]

The man himself, doing a special set for VIPs only 🥰🥰🥰 #howardjones #pizzaexpresslive #pizzaexpressholborn #concertsofinstagram #concertsingalongsarethebest #travelsolo #concertsaroundtheworld #rubymeetstheband #80sparty #80saesthetic #thebeachboys #coversong #livemusic (at Pizza Express) https://www.instagram.com/p/B32RDxTgQtA/?igshid=1a9swog2yu2hy

[tristinrupp]

Wailing at @pizzaexpresslive for the @christhehatguy and @the7thaveband show today in downtown London! #pizzaexpresslive #pizzaexpressholborn #7thave #europetour #cabaret (at Pizza Express High Holborn)

[plungermusic]

A crispy American hot with all the toppings please …

Decosta Boyce brought all the American soul and funk flavours of his debut album Electrick Soul to Pizza Express Holborn, plus some tasty sides as well.

The slow funky groove of Outro allowed the band to introduce themselves one by one: led off by the crisp drumming of Winston Marche and Marcus Porter’s rounded minimalist bass, they were joined by Keeling Lee’s choppy Strat rhythm-cum-noodling, trenchant clavinet from Joseph Erber, and Rico Garofalo’s flaring furry sax. Finally Decosta (together with Izzy Warner on bvs) entered to launch his Electrick Soul manifesto in a clear high falsetto, opening two sets inspired by classic 60s/70s soul with a sprinkling of modern influences.

Typifying the sunny 70s vibe were the light and breezy Place I’ve Made with its splash of gospel in the chorus, a playful Jackson-5-flavoured I’d Do Anything and the snare-driven, good-time Do It For You with zingy fuzzy Isley Bros guitar lines and sky-scraping high vox from Decosta. A deft touch with head-bobbing funk was shown in the tight drum-and-bass pulse of Good Music, propelled by Nile Rodgersy chiming guitar and a Lettucesque punchy horn moto perpetuo topped with Decosta’s proto-rapping, in the gutsy Wild Cherry-style bass-led louche swagger of Givi2me, and in an impressive strutting cover of Prince’s Kiss.

Covers of a couple of other big names, some forty years apart, showed Decosta’s range: a (pre-watershed) take on D’angelo’s Left & Right featured a sensuous three-way coda between Rico’s sax and the increasingly steamy voices of Izzy and Decosta (with a rafter-rattling closing scream!) and the urgent closing canter through James Brown’s I Got The Feelin’ with Decosta and Izzy gleefully trading lines as well solo spots for the whole band.

Two Decosta originals also ranged more widely stylistically: London’s Burning (from Decosta’s earlier Freakonomics incarnation) was brassy Marleyish reggae, Decosta’s taut high vocal a close facsimile of Bob’s, while Don’t Go (Across The River) was a classic Sam Cooke-meets-The-Righteous-Brothers slow soul waltz tinged with mournful gospel stylings, lovely churchy organ, sweet southern guitar and Izzy adding fabulous “oohs”, “aaahs" and harmonies and a bravura vocal acrobatic finish.

Particular highlights for Plunger were I Can Already Tell’s slinky Steely Dan-like (sonically and lyrically) dark wry tale of sex and regret, the NYC playground rhyme No Holding Back, with excellent keys (gritty clavinet and jazzy piano) and a cracking vox-and-sax unison scat, and an epic cover of Funkadelic’s instrumental Maggot Brain with rolling cymbal breakers, soaring singing guitar lines intertwined with discursive expressive sax and atmospheric Fender Rhodes piano.

Decosta’s warm and open interactions quickly got the almost sell out house on side, with crowd choir singalong demanded and received on several occasions (Plunger included) and an everybody-on-their-feet final round of participation of “Baby, baby baby!” to close out a night showing stylish and inventive homegrown funk and soul is every bit as yummy as the imported brand.