REVIEW: Achilles Botes

ACHILLES BOTES
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY
THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER
Words and Photo by Charlette Hannah


It's only the second time I've seen Achilles Botes perform live, but his songs seem familiar already. He's definitely one of the more interesting solo acts, with his loop and various other pedals, slide and layered rhythms.

Achilles has a tuneful voice with a bit of a rock edge, and his songs are very catchy. He ranges from melodious folk to upbeat rock. He even threw in a Greek song.

The word that springs to mind when thinking about his song is earnest. Not a 'nice try dear' kind of earnest, but an open, honest, sincere kind of authenticity. It's a pleasure to watch.

Visit myspace.com/achillesbotes
Earlier review

REVIEW: Achilles Botes and Shaun K Anderson

SATURDAY 30TH JUNE
HAPPY
Words and Photo's by Charlette Hannah

ACHILLES BOTES

First up on Saturday night was Achilles Botes, accompanied by an impressive array of pedals, and even a tambourine which he tapped with his foot.

Achilles is one of those rare solo artists who actually manages to hold my attention for longer than two songs, which I'm always grateful for. There are so many solo artists around, and many of them are very good, but sadly (for I am even one of them) not all can really capture an audience and hold the stage with just themselves.

Achilles reminded me of The Eels, with a bit of Iron and Wine thrown in. But a little more sophisticated. He started off quite acoustic, and got rockier after a couple of songs, bringing in the loop pedal and other effects. He even sang in Greek! I'll definitely be on the look out to see Achilles play again.

SHAUN K ANDERSON

In all honesty, though I find it hard to say anything less than lovely about a singer/songwriter, I was a little underwhelmed with Shaun's set at Happy on Saturday. I'm wondering if perhaps Shaun is more of a recording artist. His quiet laid back songs also called to mind Iron and Wine, his guitar style is lovely, and his gentle, breathy voice is easy to listen to. However I did find myself getting a little bored, as it was quiet and there weren't a lot of dynamics.