Regina Spektor Jeff Buckley Beethoven Kate Bush Paco De Lucia The Talking Heads Queen Fiona Apple Van Morrison Tegan and Sara Tori Amos Fionn Regan Flamenco Mozart
Sounds Like
"An acoustic two-piece may not seem like the most versitile of combinations but this duo make the most of the dynamic, with his guitar wrenching out some forcefull twists underneath her dark and surreal Kate Bush-style storytelling, moving the sounds from pretty to angry on a beat."
Recently described as ‘Amazing noir indie-folk’ by Latest7, Brighton’s weekly lifestyle magazine Bitter Ruin are an explosive, theatrical acoustic duo with grasping lyrics filthy with energy and anger. Renowned for their intense and dramatic live performances, their audiences are mesmerized by Georgia’s vicious, complex vocals and are left desperate to hear more of Ben’s brutal vocal attack and cutting, jagged acoustic guitar.
A relatively new act on the scene, they have been performing together for only a year and have already released their first EP featuring such inspiring tracks as ‘Trust’ and ‘Chewing Gum’.
Georgia and Ben are from opposite ends of the UK. Their influences are similarly from opposite musical counties. While Ben draws his serene and engrossing tone from Jeff Buckley, Georgia punches quirky outbursts tainted by Regina Spektor and Kate Bush. However the duo has obviously adjusted their ear drums to gorge on each others inspirations and have skillfully combined their crowning credentials to hatch an addictively juiced sound and frenzied drama.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK BITTER RUIN EMAIL:
bitterruin@hotmail.co.uk
The Troubador, London: 20th February 2008
"A couple take to the stage in the intimate confines of the Troubador Club dressed for an upmarket 1920s funeral. Ben cradles an acoustic guitar as Georgia stalks briefly around the stage in her stockinged feet. Without preliminary the haunting intro of Chewing Gum begins, a wordless chorus over slowly-picked melody. It breaks suddenly into something murderously intense, by turns bellowing and delicately melodic with dramatic, jarring shifts of tone and rhythm. Bitter Ruin are not like anything you've seen before. The aesthetic is folk-gothic, like a less gravelly and plodding Mark Lanegan. The songs are intricately plotted duets, mostly about love gone varying degrees of horribly wrong. Often they build from intricate twinkling to choppy, percussive, stomping choruses or, as in stand-out Trust, blisteringly fast call-and-response. Georgia's delivery ranges from a witchy cackle to full-throated blues, via what I'm reasonably sure was a therimin impression. Brazen theatrics are the other half of the equation, when she's not throwing carnival shapes the two are perched about the stage or belting the lines out into each other's faces with an intensity verging on the frightening. If someone feels like writing the missing scenes, a graveyard knife-fight over an incestuous love affair would be about right, there's one hell of a musical on show here. The audience are evenly split between rapt and puzzled. Weird, unique, highly recommended."
heya guys!haven't seen you in such a long time since october! heard that you've been touring :) which is such a great achievement so well done to you!
would love to see you guys more!i'm treating my friend for her birthday. was wondering (5th July) where exactly is the place?would love to see you there or the one in London. please let me know,thnx. x k. P
Hey wats up thanks for the add my brother met u in southampton Ur Music's wickid it's really original I'm feeling it I hope to see u @ one of my brothers event's and Access Festival
Hi! I heard your track "Trust" on Purefm , University of Portsmouth online radio station, on the show " lounging around with Jonny and Graham" - Liking your stuff, darkly beautiful and haunting. Keep it up!
Just had a listen to the new recording. I didn't think it could get better than it already was, but I was wrong. Mesmerised. You have so much energy in your music! It's a real inspiration for me.
I'm gonna try to see you live sometime soon. Till then, ciao.
Hi Ben & Georgia, You were great at Hove last night. Of all the participitators, your was the only one which could be described as an act. All the others were ego-driven rather than a considered performance. Your style and elegance shone out. Hope to see you again soon
Whoa 0.0 I'm glad I decided to check you guys out, you're incredible! I especially love the way you combine your vocals so cleverly and with expert harmonies, and the flamenco zest is really refreshing. Do you guys have a CD coming out at all? I for one would happily buy your music ^_^ Keep playing you two!
Hello guys. We can't wait to have you on the 17th. There is infor about the night on our page. Should be great fun and very varied. We will be getting some flyers your way in the week hopefully. Take care. Asha. x
Thanks for adding me. I was really impressed with your drama when you played in Liverpool the other night. Your presentation was immaculate, theatrical and completely original. They are all good things to be. All the best.
Hello Ben and Georgia I loved your performance last night as you left the audience spellbound with your dramatic interpretation of your songs. You have great chemistry going on between you and I wish you well for your tour. Charles
