On a Friday night against the return of George Clinton happening at the O2 Academy, Sankofa hosted their single release party at the very dimly-lit Buyers Club on Hardman Street. Usually that’d seem like a bad idea, but Sankofa stood their ground and hosted a nice partially-intimate gig with help from local standouts Strange Collective and FUSS.

FUSS opened the night with their set only to a few people, it seemed like the room was filling as they ended. FUSS is a band that may start making a name within the next few years but for now, they’re nothing special and the seemingly enthused albeit small audience seemed to agree.

After a while, Strange Collective took to the stage. This is one of those bands that has been steadily rising over the last year and a half from the release of their first single “Heavy” to their very recent EP release Super Touchy which also brought together a big bill at the Invisible Wind Factory (which included FUSS and Sankofa). They’re a tight live band, bringing a strong performance of their psych rock sound to the Buyers Club.

Overall Strange Collective preformed better here than they did at their own engagement earlier in July. The highlight of the set is, as seemingly always, the rendition of “Super Touchy”. Strange Collective is a band I’d implore people to see, especially in the early stages they’re in now.

The headline act Sankofa began playing around 10:20pm and brought a great set. The room seemed to fill out from Strange Collective to Sankofa, with everyone interested in the upcoming act. Their set was great also, with the highlight performance of the single everyone was there to celebrate, “All The While”. Their entire set held everyone’s attention and showcased a band coming into their own.

All three acts preformed well, but Sankofa rightly stole the night with their bluesy performance that showcases just the strong amount of unique acts that come from the city. Sankofa‘s single is out now.

Photography by James Ainsworth, Words by Jack Cinnamond.