Venue:
Rock City, Nottingham
Date: 09/04/2019
I remain, I feel, in a minority here, a sole figure occasionally banging on about this band. and now, on the cusp of their 4th full length recording, here was the opportunity to catch them live, so very glad it was taken. Strange, I would think their brand and style catnip to our increasing and increasingly grizzled ranks, they taking the cream of 1980s “big music” and drawing it into a credible new century focus. Originally a trio, now a duo, the band is from London, yet is undoubtedly a celtic band, the sound and the phrasing of the lyrics unmistakably of their forbears. (Bear’s Den. Bearsden. In Glasgow. Geddit?) Chock full of the chiming anthemic stylisations of Big Country, U2, early Waterboys and, yes, even Simple Minds, heavy on the chorus pedal and lots of harmonics, the songs all have a wry yearning feel of a life just escaping ones grasp or hold upon. But, with the addition of a folk application of banjo, as an occasional lead instrument, definitely not bluegrass/country banjo: think the banjo in Del Amitri, and the genius of occasional mariachi trumpet, and the sound is whole.
I was worried how the duo plus touring banjo sidekick could cut muster, but any such concern evaporated as six of them trooped out, Andrew Davie and Kevin Jones, singer/guitarist and guitarist/bassist respectively, together with touring member Christof Van der Ben on more guitars and banjo, augmented by a bassist, doubling on 6-string when necessary, a drummer who also played trumpet and a keyboard player adding 2nd trumpet and euphonium as well. Rehearsed to precision, the set included a lot of new, starting and ending with songs from the album due in a fortnight, with others dotted between better known songs. Not that you could tell the join. The sound was initially a tad muddy, the brass necessary, cutting through the murk in the 2nd song and pulling the sound desk into focus. 90 glorious minutes, plying the new amongst the old, the fast with the slow, the triumphant with the yearning. A mid set highlight came as Davie, a burly boy, bespectacled and benevolent, pulled out his guitar lead, the rest doing the same, congregating at the side of the stage for a transcendent unmiked ‘Sophie’, 3 guitars, banjo, trumpet and euphonium. Becoming a cliche these days, the unplugged offering, tonight this was jaw-dropping. More songs and the end, ahead of a 3 song encore, wherein the trick was related, as the core duo alone repeated the trick, this time from the middle of the audience. Pin drop.
Wonderful, wonderful evening.
The audience:
A packed venue, my first trip here. Most ages, 30 to 60 plus catered for, mainly 30 to early 40s, heavily partisan, up to speed, courtesy the band website, as much with the new as the old. A good venue too, with a decent bar, even if they had, to my wife chagrin, run out(!) of wine.
It made me think..
No new bands? Think again. And, yes it is true, they may be outriders of the execrable Mumfords, gaining a foothold on the business through that connection, but the is a world apart. Do yourself a favour and look them out.
retropath2 says
Here’s the unplugged bit, filmed in Paris, couple of days earlier.
Andrew says
You’re not alone. They were my favourite new band discovery last year.
My wife was less impressed and, deciding they were a sub-par version of the Run Hitmakers, christened them Faux Patrol.
retropath2 says
Ooo, harsh….. Good turn of phrase, tho’.Pity I like them or I’d be tempted to use it! And rereading my review, for Morris read Davie, uncertain how spellcheck created that illusion…..
Col D says
I first came across them supporting Smoke Fairies a few years ago. They came on to a packed house who had no idea who they were and over a short 30 minute won over the audience and finished with a big ovation. I was impressed enough to buy their only release at that point, a home-recorded, home-made EP, and loved it. Saw them lots of times in the next couple of years, mainly in Manchester, and each time they moved up into a larger venue they filled it with ease, pretty impressive for a band that hadn’t released an album at that point. Thought the first album was excellent but was hugely disappointed by their second, unmemorable songs and a horrible glossy production that seemed to hint at them beginning to pursue a different direction. Whether Joey’s departure was linked to that I don’t know but without him the dynamic seemed to have changed. Will give the new one a listen when it’s released, but after the letdown of the second it certainly won’t be an automatic buy.