Reviews
Artist:Various
Venue:Bournemouth Folk Club
Town:Bournemouth
Date:22/06/08
Website:http://www.bournemouthfolkclub.com/
Going to Bournemouth Folk Club on a Sunday is beginning to get habit forming. Not just for the vast array of good local performers, but also for the occasional surprise guest that shows up on a club night, rather than as part of the slightly more expensive 'name' nights. The line up on the 22nd featured just such an event.
Headlining the night and launching their new e.p. were local combo, Safety In Numbers. The name that stood out on the bill for me was a Scottish based artist, Andi Neate. We've reviewed a couple of Andi's albums in Fatea, but this was the first opportunity to catch her live.
You always know you're going to be in for a good night when Bob Burke kicks off the evening. Bob is a prolific songwriter so there's always a good chance you're going to hear something new. It also means that there is no such thing as a standard set list with Bob
Bob seems to have been particularly inspired to write on his recent US tour playing alongside Dorset's leading lady of singer/songwriting, Lou Brown. Tonight's set included a number of offerings that were penned on that jaunt.
Opening the evening with Bob can be a bit of a double edged sword. From the audience point of view, it's a cracking way to get going. I'd guess for a following musician it could be viewed as a tough act to follow.
Following Bob, was an artist new to me, Tim Rea. Tim hails from just a bit further along the coast and has a musical style that seems born out of a close to the beach location. On one side of his sound, there is a definite Jack Johnson/David Gray thing happening. Coming to meet it from the other direction is an Eric Bibb/Keb' Mo' vibe.
As you would imagine, it's a very relaxed sound, enhanced visually by Rea's beach bum look. The standout number of the set is "The Boat Song", a song that owes a great deal to the aforementioned Eric Bibb.
It's a song that highlights Rea's abilities on the guitar and you have to say he's pretty much got it nailed. I'm not sure what guitar he uses, but he's managed to find one with a beautiful resonance. It sounds fantastic, more so because it's owner really knows his way around the fretboards.
I enjoyed Tim Rea's set, but I couldn't honestly say if it's because I like his references or his take on them. It's probably a bit of both and I'd be more than happy to give Tim another go. I picked up a copy of his mini-album on the night so keep an eye out for it in the releases section.
The next artist, I'd definitely seen before, Aimee Newsome Stone. In the space of less than a year, I've seen Aimee move from shy nervous backing singer, almost afraid of being up on the stage, to a confident self assured young lady, more than capable of making the stage her own.
As it is tonight she is sharing the stage with Bournemouth Folk Club's sound man, Andy Stone, who also happens to be her dad, as well as her guitarist.
Aimee is sitting for most of the gig. She's got an almost unique guitar style, her thumb does most of the strumming whilst her fingers remain pretty much still beneath the strings. It's unusual but it seems to work well for her.
Her sound is dark, at times almost sombre, but she manages to create an atmosphere where you could almost hear the proverbial pin drop. That is except for the gaps between songs which are filled with audience response.
Aimee still has a need to partially explain the songs between sets. It's not necessary as the songs really do speak for themselves. It may be the last vestige of nerves or a simple desire to communicate with the crowd. It's something that will improve with experience
The sign of a good set is leaving the audience wanting more. Ok it's something that's easy to do as your part of a short club session, but having seen artists where one song was too many, not always achieved. Aimee went to watch an album being recorded at Abbey Road recently, hopefully it won't be too long before she sees the process from the other side of the deck.
Googlemap tells me that it's three hundred and ninty three miles from where Andi Neate was last night to get to Bournemouth Folk Club tonight. It's an awfully long way to come just to play five songs. It would be flattering to think that Andi made the effort just for us, but the reality is that we are part of a south coast warm up tour for her Glastonbury appearances.
On stage, as well as off, Andi oozes sensuality. Even when she's using the words donkey and sex in the same sentence it sort of has an innocent charm about it, but more of that later.
It's a little unfair, but the first thing you notice about Andi on stage is the look. An intricate tattoo winds it's way up her right arm. The lightness of skin contrasts the darkness of the ink and her clothing. Something of the fey surrounds her, that is right up until she hits the first chord on the guitar and starts singing. Then it all fades into the background and you just concentrate on the voice.
Andi is one of those artists that has something special about them when it comes to their live work. A presence that you can't quite capture in an album, no matter how good the album is.
There was a wonderful bit of audience interchange. By way of introduction into one of her songs Andi mentioned that she liked circuses, which had by means of a bit of distortion and Chinese whispers reached the back of the hall as she liked sex. It created a bit of a buzz in one part of the room that brought a ssshh from another part of the room. The misunderstanding was cleared up when one person from the buzzing table explained, "We thought you said I like sex". Neate replied, "I do, but I really like circuses."
It brought a round of laughter to the room as well as clearing up the misunderstanding especially when Andi went of to say "It's like using the words donkey and sex in the same sentence, it always gets people looking at you and talking.
With that she launched into the song about infidelity amongst circus folk. I'm sure there were some in the room trying to get the idea of donkey and sex out of their mind.
Five songs is not enough of Andi Neate, it's like going to a top restaurant and being asked to leave just after you've finished your starter. If you get the chance to see Andi Neate live take it. Failing that she starts work on a new album in the Autumn.
Having failed to win the raffle in the interval, it was time to sit down and listen to the headliners for the night, Safety In Numbers, who true to their name had added a couple of percussionists to their line-up for the evening.
There are some towns that are revered in songs, others reviled. Show Of Hands really stick the knife into Yeovil, Marlboro is the victim of Safety In Numbers attack, "Marlboro Town", the lead track from the new ep is felled by a series of blows reigning down on all it's obvious failings. Passion like this doesn't come easy. In the past it used to be reserved for the likes of Thatcher.
The sound is on the folk rock scale, drifting towards the likes of Fleetwood Mac with a multi guitar, multi vocal approach. Steve West provides the lead vocal, supported by lead guitarist, Scott Miguel and Jem Medhurst who provides backing vocals. Adam Bowden and Rob Thomas make up the rhythm section.
Often Jem takes the backing vocals off into the realms of singing in the round, repeating the previous line as Steve heads into the next one. Whilst it works well it's a sound they use a little too often and sometimes has the unfortunate impact of making the songs sound a bit samey. It's not that t shouldn't be used on any given song. It works well as a technique just sometimes less is more.
For the most part the sound is upbeat with plenty of drive to it. Safety In Numbers are good value entertainment. They enjoy what they're doing and take the audience with them. "Not Just Because", the new band driven, less acoustic ep, got a good outing. All in all a good night.
Photographs are illustrative and may not have been taken on the night