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The Furrow Collective

Venue: The Met
Town: Bury
Date: 27/02/14
Website: http://www.thefurrowcollective.co.uk

"Everyone seems to think we're weird - which I'm very happy with" - a quote from Furrow Collective member Rachel Newton which was far too good to go missing. Written in the social media in response to the four start review from the Financial Times of all places, it sat quite nicely with similar ratings from The Guardian and the more musically oriented MOJO as well as a whopping five star review from R2 magazine. It also stood as an interesting titbit which might have drawn few more people toward the album and the tour put together by three musicians who form part of the Emily Portman Trio plus token male and well known collaborator Alasdair Roberts.

The only grumble had been about how serious they looked in the promotional pictures, but considering that that were reportedly shot in a disused factory underneath a highly suspect asbestos roof, one can forgive the apprehension and consternation on their faces.

With their album gaining very positive reviews it was surprising not more packed into The Met for "our last gig" - well, not quite last 'ever' as the band will be out later in the year following some festival appearances, but the last of the tour, usually the gig which sees a band going for it one last time. It was much less of a final hurrah, but more a performance which was mainly low key and subtle, much like the album.

Their versions of new takes on traditional material with slightly darker themes and narratives demanded the attention and concentration of a engrossed and absorbed audience. Never mind hearing a pin drop, the reverential silence was palpable. Many of the songs were either sung unaccompanied - a particular forte of Rachel Newton - or with not much more than very understated and delicate accompaniment. The album staples - 'Jonny My Man', 'King Henry' and 'Outlaw Of The Hill', were joined by solo performances from all the collective. Taking the plunge to go first, Lucy Farrell's unaccompanied 'Peggy Garden' gave her a chance to sing a song which she described as one which "just fell into my head". Similarly unaccompanied, Rachel Newtons' solo included some of her famous 'mouth music', her Gallic (or is it Gaellic?) singing giving the impression of bagpipe intonation and the words sounding almost Elvish in a very Lord Of The Rings kind of way (despite Alasdair's joke that he words sound like she sings that she's going to go and buy some macaroons). With Emily 's Sandra Kerr song 'Oh To Be Alone' voicing thoughts of individuals in long terms relationships and Alasdair's 'Old Men Of The Shells' ensuring everyone got a fair share of the solo spotlight, the combination of four also took time to perform in various combinations. Emily and Lucy's pairing of 'Handsome Molly' and 'Our Captain Calls' tugged at the heartstrings with their tales of going away to sea and the complications in distant relationships - they've sung it enough now to get through without breaking down but it was a most heartfelt performance, yet for something a little more ominous, 'The Demon Lover' (people are not always what they seem being it's sinister warning) allowed some eerie saw and slide guitar backing to add to the portent.

To make sure no-one went home feeling anything less than a high note, 'Hind Horn' ended the evening on more of a high to close an evening which was low key and solemn - yet an enthralling and absorbing evening of bewitching tales and folklore.

Mike Ainscoe