fun gig times...

(N.B. Reading this over, it appears to be a gig AND facial hair review...)

Last night was fun. Four of us piled into my car and went on a little trip to Bath for a Mumford and Sons gig. First port of call was a picnic. The weather dictated that it was to be a car based picnic, but a picnic it was none the less. There’s not much else to say other than there was chocolate cake so it was pretty darn good...

And then to the gig we went. Or tried to. Turns out none of us knew where exactly we were going. Helpful. Luckily for us, we happened to walk straight past half of Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling (woo!) having a drink outside a pub and figured we had to be close... We arrived in the middle of the first support band. The most memorable thing about them (they never said their name) was the pretty impressive moustache that the guitarist was sporting (with an accompanying wife beater too). Very 1970’s. Anyway, we firmly planted ourselves near the front (Moles is a shockingly bad venue in many ways. If you’re not at the front, you don’t get to see anything...) and waited.

Next up was Pete Roe. Sporting a pretty splendid beard and an excellent hat (and you know how I appreciate a good hat), he played a set full of wonderfully intricate guitar playing and melodic vocals. A pleasure to listen to and definitely someone to follow further. He also appears to be a Very Nice Man (TM), and was unofficial roadie for Mumford and Sons later in the night. Check out "The Devil's Dancefloor" below...






He was followed by Shoreline, who were definitely one of the most interesting musical experiences of my gig going career, combined with some slightly underwhelming songwriting. They were 9 of them on stage (a bit of a squash), armed with a motley assortment of instruments, ranging from double bass to glockenspiel. And there was whistling. Added to this was one of the most distinctive voices I've ever heard – rich, deep and incredibly soulful. To top that off there was bell playing. Yes, bells. One of the songs started with a minute of bell playing by three (or four) different band members, weaving the small bells into an intricate and beautiful melody. Awesome. Sadly, after all that, the songs weren't particularly memorable and they definitely didn’t do justice to the level of talent in the band.

Here's a video that's actually Sons of Noel and Adrian, who essentially seem to be Shoreline with a few lineup changes. I couldn't find any videos of Shoreline, and this is actually a song they played last night and lets you hear the distinctive voice guy...






And then it was time for Mumford and Sons. And it was awesome. The combination of four vocals, a double bass, a banjo, a guitar and a keyboard produce one of the most individual sounds I've heard. The lead singer has a beautiful and distinctive voice, complimented well by the harmonies of the other three. The banjo player plucks with incredible skill and variety, and elevates the songs to another level. The songs are memorable, catchy and frequently want to make me stamp my feet and have a bit of a dance round the room (difficult when you’re packed like sardines in a teeny gig venue). The lyrics are beautiful, poetic, intriguing and meaningful. I think they are musically, one of the most talented bands around. Each of them is a master at their instrument, as well as showing other skills – there was a drum kit on stage, which 3 of the 4 band members ended up playing at some point during the gig. There were also some serious moustaches going on from the lead singer and bass player. Turns out they've labelled it the moustache tour...

They played with enthusiasm and passion, despite being at the end of a long tour. They clearly love what they do and the music they play, something that is infectious. They've just got signed and their album came out on Monday (“The first rule is don’t let anyone tell you what to do. The second rule is buy the album!”). They even had a barn dance for their album launch. Amazing. This may well be the last time I’ll get to see them in such a small venue, which is a shame, but if any band deserves recognition, these guys do. And I’m already planning when I can get to see them again…

To finish off, have a squiz at the official video for "Little Lion Man" which is their new single...