Venue:
Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London
Date: 13/12/2017
I think anyone who has followed The Unthanks career from small folk club nights above pubs to the acoustic dreambox on the south of the Thames knows this is exactly where they were headed. Although at the same time it shows a will to break out from their roots and do what they bloody well please.
I recall when I first saw them I went online to discover more and encountered unrest on the folk forums. They had just signed a deal with a major label to distribute their acclaimed 2nd album ‘The Bairns’ and this was seen as worse than the devil himself. I thought notions of ‘selling out’ or ‘breadheads’ had died with Jerry Garcia but it was alive and well in the straitjacket folk cognoscenti. They appeared to miss that this was a fresh unique pair of voices that could reach a larger audience. They hate being labelled, as anything and have always defied expectations.
I had seen The Unthanks perform with an orchestra in Liverpool in 2015 and they were clearly nervous about the performance. Tonight they showed no signs of anxiety as an early doors ‘Mount The Air’ simply flew. The strings propelled the song, Rachel & Becky skyward in a most thrillingly exciting rush that made your heart leap. You could imagine it soundtracking eagles soaring over rolling hills, racing close to the ground before looping upwards and away.
‘Blue Bleezin Blind Drunk’ was given a Kurt Weillian swagger and woozy uneasy atmosphere befitting a tale of domestic violence and cruelty. Rachel’s performance matched the anger and violence of the music as she defiantly set out her plans to defy her husband, get missed and destroy.
I found ‘Foundling’ a little dull on record but this arrangement bought forth all the pathos of the sad, sad situation. Becky’s mournful delivery from child and mothers viewpoint was heart breaking. The pre interval sing about a Scottish silkie produced a gorgeous five part harmony between artist and audience.
Conductor Charles Hazelwood led the Army Of Generals superbly, reminding @Drakeygirl of a young Alan Cumming in his movements. Stalwart Unthanks, Niopha Keegan, Chris Price and Adrian MacNally provide their usual colour and musical depth to the material.
‘Last’, ‘At First She Starts’ and more are all given fresh sounds and the sisters appear to be relishing hearing their songs in the hands of such gifted musicians. They end with ‘a bit of dodgy Prog’ in a sublime Starless with a beautiful trumpet melody (by Lizzie Jones?). A quick reprise of ‘Mount The Air with clog dancing brings an emotional night to a happy climax.
The audience:
Few empty seats up in the back of the gods but pretty much a full house for their last show of the tour. On their feet at the end to applaud a fine night’s entertainment. @Drakeygirl in attendance
It made me think..
Their albums have become more intricate, adventurous and as they have been able to attract (and afford let’s face it) an audience that appreciates that. To expect any less us like those booing Dylan for going electric – have you not been paying attention?
This is music for the people as thrilling, moving and exciting as live music can be. Always different, always the same
An accurate review that mirrors my own thoughts of their Birmingham show.
An orchestral Mount the Air was just a joy. Fabulous and yes it was Lizzie Jones.
Nodded along to all of that. From the front row of the balcony Lizzie Jones’ trumpet was a bit too prominent but I have never heard mount the Air, and in particular the climactic chord just before Rachel and Becky star giving it some clog-leather,one of the great moments in all of music, sound better.
Great review. I was not familiar with the Unthanks’ work before last night – though I’ve heard the so-called “dodgy prog” song plenty of times as performed by King Crimson.
I thought the whole show was terrific. The Unthanks are clearly a cracking band, the sisters are star performers and the orchestral arrangements were mostly excellent and felt entirely natural, not something that had been clumsily bolted on.
My mate and I were in great seats, middle of the fourth row, and I was completely absorbed and uplifted by the gig. “Life-affirming” my mate called it at the end. Spot on.
Glad you enjoyed it. Really.
As someone has said elsewhere, funny old things, ears
They are when they are made of cloth!!
Up!!
Nice review, dfb.
Row K for me. It sounds like we were all there last night. A meet up without a meeting.
M
Loved every minute of this gig. The Unthanks sisters have this ability to make me beam from ear to ear even when they’re singing about children/maidens/cows/refugees being mistreated/beaten/lost/killed (which is most of the time). I’m not a sociopath, it’s just they sound so beautiful.
Their voices soared in the auspicious surroundings of the venue, and the orchestra added some right welly* (*this is a little-used musical term). The audience did some awesome harmony singing, too.
Soul-soothing, dreamy, dramatic, and magic. (Them, not the audience. We weren’t *that* good).
You turned up on time? Darling how gauche.