Hey Rosetta!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Luxe
London, UK

by Joanna Orland

I briefly caught the end of Hey Rosetta’s set the night before at Queen of Hoxton where they opened for Toronto darlings Spiral Beach. I liked what I heard. It was fate I walked by The Luxe venue the following night and saw the “HEY ROSETTA, 7:30pm” sign out front. Now that I have caught their entire set, I can officially say…. This band is amazing!

A 6-piece act with drums, bass, abstract lead guitar, a singer who alternates between piano and acoustic guitar, and rounded off nicely with Violin and Cello. Hailing from Newfoundland, Canada, this band is following a strong pattern that is emerging from that side of the pond with the success of Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. The mellow beauty of the performance was serene and magical at some points. The singer’s vocals carried the songs with ease and when they finished their set, the audience demanded MORE!

This band apparently sells out venues across Canada, yet here in London, nobody has heard of them (yet….). I think that is brilliant and I am very fortunate to have seen them play such an intimate gig. I doubt this luxury will last long as these guys have potential for global success. Keep an ear out for Hey Rosetta.