The Hamiltons - Crazy Coqs

Tom Hamilton

The Hamiltons
Emma Hamilton - keys/vocals
Tom Hamilton - keys/vocals
Bob Payne - tuba
Florian Has Schneider - drums
Tjoe Man Cheung - guitar

Tjoe Man Cheung

Date - 16th December 2016
Venue - Crazy Coqs, London, UK
Current video  - Take The Hit

Emma Hamilton

Amongst red drapes and electric blues The Hamiltons reflect in the mirrored art deco facets of the Crazy Coqs. Saturating the packed audience in a wash of cocktail light we could be forgiven for stepping back a century or two. This isn't an old Parisian scene though, it is a Lynchian stab in the past. While young men upend bottles of champagne to impress friends and tipsy ladies whisper in ears, on stage the twin peaks of The Hamiltons tread the line through a modern nostalgia. Beware, the décor may lure you into it's cosy arms but the hypodermic prick of The Hamiltons' charisma can still draw blood.

Bob Payne

Since deciding to relocate from Sydney to the U.K with a one-way ticket in 2015, a lot has happened to this formidable duo. They found themselves some quirky musicians to complete their live act: a tubist, drummer and guitarist, which compliments perfectly Emma’s jazz tinged vocals and shredding accordion skills, and brother Tom’s masterful, frenzied piano chops and husky voice. They have performed all over town, toured the country opening for Matt Cardle, and even collaborated with Guy Chambers on some interesting projects. Let’s throw a few more quirks into the mix. They grew up playing country, cajan, jazz, folk, and 60’s music in their fathers’ band, and debuted in Australia with an exceptional French album (they are half French!) which Van Dyke Parks called “a total triumph on so many levels”.

Florian Has Schneider

The Hamiltons perform with a manic passion, tinged with nostalgia but cemented in a pop tradition. “We take a genre of music we like, and turn it on its head” says Tom when asked to define their musical genre. It’s the kind of music best to be heard than described. Their single “Take The Hit” showcases their eclectic taste and even features sax parts from Max Abrams (from the Grammy-Award winning The Mavericks).