Orkestra del Sol are mesmerising. I felt light-headed by the end of the gig. First we were dazed by the sheer amount of metal on stage. When the brassy, shiny shock subsided I noticed the red turbaned violinist in the corner. Then, the drummer with 80s hair. Then, the tall front man, his head tickling the Komedia’s low ceiling. Then, I stopped thinking, and started dancing. The band radiated a festival vibe with matching red and black outfits and synchronised dance moves.
They have the skill and they have the groove; creative, with dazzling solos, they’ve truly got it going on.
The Orkestra from Edinburgh warmed up the crowd with some Latin and Jazz numbers. Next, believe it or not, my pal Nath (who ‘doesn’t dance’), was actually induced to dance the polka. I had to pinch myself. The audience got some mini dance lessons and were skipping about and bumping into each other in no time.
They have the skill and they have the groove; creative, with dazzling solos, they’ve truly got it going on. Various moments of comic flair kept the atmosphere so light the heavy brass instruments could have floated away. The way the band played their instruments seemed to bend the laws of nature. The alto sax player had lightning fingers and the tuba man beat-boxed. I enjoyed the pizzicato violin, and their use of 7/8 and 7/4 time. The teenage trumpet player was as much of a prodigy as the band claimed and crooned to his baseball cap, bringing the audience to a spine-tingling stand-still.
We heard so many styles I lost count - the Latin, Reggae and Drum and Bass-style numbers really hit the spot. Their rendition of Daft Punk’s Round the World was just...yum. Sadly, they can’t record this one (I asked), but I didn’t hesitate to buy their latest album Lung Capacity. The Komedia crowd screamed for an encore. The Orkestra obliged, dazzling us with a clockwork act. The trumpet player mimed turning a lever with his instrument. The band steadily cranked into action, then eased seamlessly into the last song. The only thing that would improve this gig would be the female presence on their album cover. And maybe fire coming out of the tuba.
