Date: 15.08.2011
Location: Moles Café, Bath
Event: allegedly acoustic night from Lost Legion Records
Points of pedantry: 1. Starting at 09.00pm is NOT an 08.00pm start. 2. £3.80 is too much for a pint.
Earlier this evening [26] played to an almost empty, but not unimpressed, Moles Café. The red walled and intimate arena adjoining the main upstairs bar is actually a really good space to play in, just wished that some more of the small and tentative crown made it all the way through from the bar. It must have been a little like watching | playing a gig through opposite end of an architectural telescope.
Overall [26] kick out some pretty hefty material: solid, stately and all supporting the voice of [26] (Nick O’Donnell). He sounds like a morphine soaked dream sequence – kinda’ like early Bellamy/Buckley on the soft high notes. The underpinning soundscapes are provided by Drew Fellows (keys), Iain Wilson (drums) and the soon-to-be-mentioned Ross Duckworth (bass). Those ‘scapes are epic in places, driving in others, and wonderfully sparse when need be.
[26] open their set, appropriately, with ‘A New Beginning’ which is something like a hammer shaped lullaby, complete with requisite ‘stars’ lyric reference. The chorus delivers ‘I love to say I’m sorry’ on a healthy chord progression and very honest melody. The listener knows immediately that the band mean it, whatever ‘IT’ may be.
[26] wind their way through the set, which as a whole had slightly potted dynamics, but still delivers an extremely powerful mix of emotions, tension, light and shade all topped with that endorphin educing vocal timbre. Something weird happens sonically during ‘Friendly Fires’, which is still hugely enjoyable, with the slide guitar interludes and crystal clear lyrics; ‘Put out all the fires but where have all the people gone’ being particularly topical for the event and, sadly right now for the UK. I’m not sure what it is that’s weird but it’s challenging for the listener and it balances out against the more direct delivery of other tracks.
A major highlight is essentially a Bass guitar led track (The Outside?), where Ross Duckworth outdoes himself, and his periodic handclapping, with what can only be described as a freight train bass riffs. He looks knackered at the end of the tune but Ross – it’s worth it, great tune.
The set climaxes with a March, complete with programmed marching band, and the post set sigh is one of happiness, curiosity and uncertainty from the milling crowd.
[26] are off to Edinburgh and Glasgow now, where I hope they play to larger audiences. Having come all the way from OZ, they certainly deserve it.
– 2 Pints
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