Review and Photography by Robert Barrett

Its hard to think of a better modern soul band out there at the moment than Durand Jones & the Indications. Over the past few years they have released three albums of the finest soul/funk and RNB around, and show no signs of stopping anytime soon. A sold out crowd were packed into the Institute’s second room for a night of sweet soul music.

The support line up on this tour had been exceptional across all continents, and in Birmingham it was no exception. The dreamy folk of Oracle Sisters felt like the perfect warm up for the night ahead.

“We drove 5 hours to be here” they stated, but it seemed to be worth the effort with the crowd really enjoying the songs. Couples were embraced and swaying to the wistful Americana of “Captain America”, and a few dance moves were spotted during the Parcels-esq funk of “Asc. Scorpio”. A terrific warmup set from the Parisian band.

The shuffle drumbeat of “Circles” kicked off Durand Jones & the Indications headline set. It was immediately clear that this is a live act at the pinnacle of their game, recreating that vintage 60s/70s sound with a modern twist. The smooth funk of “The Way That I Do” had the crowd boogieing on down, showcasing the range the band possess.

One of the key features of the band is the ability to effortlessly switch frontmen. Durand providing his powerhouse delivery for tracks such as “Morning in America”, whereas drummer Aaron Frazer provided stunning falsetto to songs including the heartache inducing “Too Many Tears”.

Highlight from latest record “Private Space” and all round party anthem “Witchoo” brought the set to an electrifying disco-tinged end. They proved themselves as a band that has mastered the soul sound, it will be fascinating to see what they master next.