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Tuesday June 17th 2008 @ The Purple Turtle, London
Stage 2 Showcase Free Peace
As this carnival of unadulterated talent and energy rolled into town, it’s fair to say that those unacquainted
with Free Peace were left speechless. The five-piece from Guildford used an ensemble of trombone, bass,
percussion and even a cajon to fuse hip-hop, funk and acoustica. But the driving force of their sound was
Stacey Edwards on guitar, with hints of Cuba in those strings and maybe even the sounds of Paul Simon’s
Gracelands. I can’t think of a harder style of music to play and they did it with a masterful, supreme grace.
And what a voice at the heart of it, courtesy of Abi Evans. The sheer range she possesses is just jaw
dropping. Their set had a linear sense of narrative about it, starting strictly acoustic and then building with
each song into a monumental symphony of sound that had each and every one of us in a state of
wide-eyed euphoria.
Words by Dominic Nicholls - Dominic Nicholls
Discography
Freepeace have released their own material and sell them at their gigs
Don't Panic It's Organic E.P. - 2007
An Ounce of Bounce E.P. - 2009
Photos
Bio
FreePeace began in 2006 as an
acoustic trio with Stacey Edwards on
guitar, Abi Evans on vocals and Kerry
Edwards on percussion. Experimenting
with various genres ranging from hiphop
and acoustic singer/song-writer
styles, their compositions fused African
and flamenco influences whilst still
retaining pop friendly hooks and a
commercial vibe. FreePeace went on to
study at the Academy of Contemporary
Music to develop their musical careers,
and this is where the fourth member,
Sam Odiwe on bass, joined the group.
Their new collaboration further honed
their sound and style, evolving the
genre into a highly original, innovative
and exciting music form. Performing as
a four-piece band around the UK and
Europe they refined their sound and
performance skills playing to live
audiences. In April 2008 they
discovered the latest addition to the
FreePeace family. Sebastian Goodwin-
Day helped to round the FreePeace
sound contributing his skills on the
trombone. This fifth member completed
the FreePeace band and brand.
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