Concert4Conservation
Back when Stornoway were formed, a band fronted by someone who studied ducks, who had a cunning idea to use the BBC weather map to find their name, they had ambitions of one day supporting the Epstien at a major gig, so this homecoming event rounded off a significant chapter in their ever progressing career.
Greeted by a lady dressed as a chicken (or other ornithological creature I’m not sure), it was clear on entering the Regal that this was going to be a special event. The opening band were Dreaming Spires, it’s the first time we’ve seen the Bennett brothers since the sad collapse of their festival, and a somewhat humbling and humanizing experience. They open the set with lines 'For the first time in my life i see things as they really are. I love you like a falling star', a powerful moment, their songs are musically tight and although the audience don’t know the songs they are pleasantly received. Their new single 'Everything all the time' is a bit too similar to Ash for me (whiney and annoying), and isn’t their best song of the night by a long way, however the B-side ‘Fait of the world’, written with conservation in mind, just about saves their release. They end the set singing ‘Carry me home’ and as musicians above business people, I hope they can continue this project a long way further.
Most of the Epstien’s set for me was annoyingly spent queuing at the bar, which quite probably hadn’t seen this many thirsty punters for quite some time. However the sound was tight and new band members on Bass and Keys have been integrated seamlessly into their rich acoustic sound. The vocal harmonies are stronger than ever, and set closer ‘Leave your light on’ a duo sung with just Olly and John, is a deliciously understated gem stuck on the end.
Tim Bearder compares the night, and introducing the main act is a proud moment for him having steered them through a lot of their early career with BBC introducing. Tonight Stornoway showcase a lot of new material and some new arrangements with the North Sea Orchestra. The new material is written far more as a band, rather than Brian’s songs arranged out, and the transition works well. 'When you touch down from outer space' is a quirky hit, written tongue in cheek about showing an Alien around Oxford, (but a very human link to Brian’s recent fatherhood). “I can’t wait to introduce you to your new world” are again lovely lyrics, which I’m sure have underpinned their previous success.
Other new material includes ‘Working in a Café’ (set in Jericho), ‘Farewell Achalasia’, ‘6th Wave’, an eco song played when an autoharp, and in 7/4 time, (I’m sure Rob has wanted to play in 7/4 ever since the beginning!) ‘The Bigger Picture’, a solo 12 string finger picked song and ‘The ones we hurt the most’, where Rob, Olly, Jon and Brian huddle acoustically around 1 microphone, singing intimate 4 part harmonies. The familiar hits were as expected sing-alongs, We are the Battery humans and Fuel up linking nicely to the days theme, and new arrangements at the start of Cold Harbour Road and Zorbing keep everyone happy for different reasons.
The night is raising money for conservation charities SOS, the Earth Trust and the RSPB. A signed Electric guitar is auctioned on eBay raising £395 and a variety of merchandise, posters, T-shirts, Hacky sacs, are sold with profit being donated also. There was a moment at the end when we all thought the massive balloons were going to crash into the lights and burst the perfect bubble… but thankfully not and I leave with a Stornoway water bottle, a warm drunken feeling of rejuvenated humanity and a love for cute orange orangutans.
Trev Williams
published OMS 15
http://www.oxfordmusicscene.co.uk/images/oms_issue15.pdf
Stornoway playing a new song at Truck Store
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