THE EARLIES AND HEM, TWISTED FOLK TOUR, QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL, LONDON, 25/02/2005
February 27th, 2005 by duck
With no small irony, your intrepid reporter was sadly running a little late for this gig, and managed to miss the opening act, Martha Tillotson.
Arriving in time to experience Hem instead, I was left a little confused as to where the “Twisted” part comes into the Twisted Folk tour. An eight piece band, Hem seemed to be fairly straight up country/folk to me, albeit combining elements of the music from the US and Ireland (most noticeably in the vocal style).
Their lead singer perhaps described their performance best when she said, “we are quite simple you know”. Hem certainly supplied their audience with some fantastic musicianship here, not least from their bewildering array of guitars and mandolins, or from their vocalist, who held the gig together expertly. Perhaps the least traditional elements on show were the long almost tripped out instrumental breaks, which allowed the individual musicians to shine – fortunately without lapsing into endless solos.
Sadly, as well as moments of fragile beauty, the show contained several examples of the bombast that modern country is so afflicted with. Hem entertained well, but as alluded to later by the headline band, they would not necessarily have trouble slotting into the mainstream country scene. This was an entertaining and polished performance, but certainly not one to change the world.
The Earlies on the other hand, after taking to the stage with a casual “What’s Up”, are, as they stated themselves “Never going to make a Radio 2 playlist”.
The Earlies set was in an exercise in restraint and control above all else, yet the eleven musicians on stage showcased their intricate soundscapes with an intensity that managed to eclipse the already wonderful album versions completely. By the time “Wayward Song” made an appearance, I was already desperately scribbling in my notebook that The Earlies have achieved something we’ve all come to think is nigh on impossible – they’ve created a totally new sound.
Every song was presented as a roller coaster ride of tension and release, somehow taking on the drama of heavy metal, the vocal beauty of The Beach Boys, the melancholia of folk, the suspension of dub and the crazy noise of ambient electronica. Tonight it felt as if each piece had been intricately woven by some twisted genius, and as such it was near impossible to imagine that these songs were the product of a jam session, despite the fact that they were delivered with the casual abandon of songs being jammed out right there in front of the audience.
Somehow these musicians from Manchester and Texas have melded to create that rare thing, an ensemble in which every musician plays exactly what is needed, when it is needed, like the limbs of a single body performing some mind blowing dance.
In between songs, it seems as though The Earlies are returning to earth from the higher place their music suggests – at one point the audience were asked “Are you drinking?” , then told “well, keep drinking…. we sound better”, and later a self-depreciating Mancunian accent advised us not to buy their record in the foyer as “there’s a 40% mark up for the venue” – Yet somehow this lack of pretension just makes their total confidence whilst playing all the more impressive.
I’ll be honest; tonight The Earlies rather blew me away – and I was already looking forward to the gig in advance. I’d be surprised if anyone would be able to hear the rendition of “Morning Wonder” delivered to the QEH this evening and remain unaffected, and that was merely one magical moment amongst many. And this took place in a hall somewhat reminiscent of a university lecture theatre. The news that they’ll be playing in the beautiful surroundings of Eastnor Castle is great news indeed, and it promises to be a show that just should not be missed.
Duck
