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ventaJust to calm any fears anyone may have: this review does not involve the Broken Family Band (or anyone else, for that matter) actually getting naked.
I'd been really, really looking forward to this gig - the inaugural Naked Night at the Tricyle. And just for once, in that situation, it didn't disappoint.
We trotted in to the venue. As one might expect before a live band comes on, there was a DJ with twin decks on stage. Unusually, he was clearly visible. More unusually he was slightly elderly, wearing evening dress and playing 78s on matching wind-up portable gramophones.
Y'see, the idea behind the Naked Nights is that live bands will perform not just acoustically but "naked" - without mics, leads, speakers or any of that guff. They will be on stage in front of a small red plush theatre-ful of people with nothing but their own voices and instruments. I guess DJ 78 was a natural choice as a warm-up act.
The promoter shuffled onstage to explain "house rules" - mainly no talking while the bands were on - and then Show Without Punch took the stage. 2/3 bearded, they featured funky double bass, minimalist drums, and interesting jazz-based piano. Slightly unfortunately, the singer's quiet, breathy voice was somewhat drowned out by his piano playing - even though, it turned out later, someone had stuck tape across the piano strings to deaden the sound a little.
Show Without Punch can be located on the sadly ubiquitous MySpace. Since the damn thing won't load, you'll have to check out for yourself what they sound like recorded. Live, I really quite enjoyed them.
Their own write-up describes them as "not a million miles from Tom Waits or Regina Spektor". I'd certainly go with the Regina Spektor reference (if you don't know what she sounds like, the answer is Tori Amos' drug-addled little sister. I mean that's what she sounds like. I don't think she's any relation to Ms Amos and I have no evidence that she's even slightly drug-addled.) Occasional songs sounded like light-weight Nick Cave, and some bits were straight piano jazz. The songs were free-form and rambling, yet also performed with very exact timing. I've no idea how they do that.
After a fairly epic attempt to get drinks from the bar and some more from DJ 78, the slightly augemented Broken Family Band took to the stage. In addition to their usual singer/lead guitar/bass/drums, they'd acquired an accordion-playing female singer, and regular jobbing string-thing player Tim. The bass player had a remarkably slim-line acoustic bass; I didn't know they made them that thin.
I would have described the BFB - who are, incidentally, what you get when some people who like rock and indie play country music (yes, I know I said the C-word, but you should really give them a try) - as reasonably acoustic-sounding anyway. Some of their songs actually didn't sound that much different to usual. Others demonstrated what a rock sound they normally have, with the lead guitarist bending strings like mad to compensate for his lack of distortion.
I initially had some qualms that their singer's voice also wasn't quite up to the job of being heard without a friendly sound-guy to boost the levels, but things turned out ok. For bonus points, up to four of them were singing some of the time. Sometimes they were even on the stage - at one point someone appeared singing just behind us, having plonked themselves down in spare seat. Like many great bands, they appear to produce the music effortlessly, even slightly self-deprecatingly.
Incidentally, I had to revise my opinion of the earlier band having minimalist drums when the BFB's drummer dispensed with the tambourine (under right foot) and woodblock (under left foot) and triangle used by SWP's drummer, retaining just the snare drum and cymbal. He did produce quite a good bass drum effect, though, by stamping on the stage.
Have you ever noticed how some things are just funny ? Jam is funnier than honey. Ducks are funnier than hens. The bassoon is funnier than the clarinet. The BFB are amusing onstage anyway, but somehow acoustic instruments are funnier than their electric kin. I don't know why. They just are. Several members of the BFB are also inherently funny. SWP's drummer's triangle playing was hilarious. It's a long time since I've laughed that much - and I very nearly spat Grolsch over the row of people in front of me several times. I also know where the remainder of my Christmas-present money is going.
OK, bands: the race is on. By January 14th I've already got a hot contender for gig of the year. I'm also keen to see who they get for Naked Nights in the future.
I'd been really, really looking forward to this gig - the inaugural Naked Night at the Tricyle. And just for once, in that situation, it didn't disappoint.
We trotted in to the venue. As one might expect before a live band comes on, there was a DJ with twin decks on stage. Unusually, he was clearly visible. More unusually he was slightly elderly, wearing evening dress and playing 78s on matching wind-up portable gramophones.
Y'see, the idea behind the Naked Nights is that live bands will perform not just acoustically but "naked" - without mics, leads, speakers or any of that guff. They will be on stage in front of a small red plush theatre-ful of people with nothing but their own voices and instruments. I guess DJ 78 was a natural choice as a warm-up act.
The promoter shuffled onstage to explain "house rules" - mainly no talking while the bands were on - and then Show Without Punch took the stage. 2/3 bearded, they featured funky double bass, minimalist drums, and interesting jazz-based piano. Slightly unfortunately, the singer's quiet, breathy voice was somewhat drowned out by his piano playing - even though, it turned out later, someone had stuck tape across the piano strings to deaden the sound a little.
Show Without Punch can be located on the sadly ubiquitous MySpace. Since the damn thing won't load, you'll have to check out for yourself what they sound like recorded. Live, I really quite enjoyed them.
Their own write-up describes them as "not a million miles from Tom Waits or Regina Spektor". I'd certainly go with the Regina Spektor reference (if you don't know what she sounds like, the answer is Tori Amos' drug-addled little sister. I mean that's what she sounds like. I don't think she's any relation to Ms Amos and I have no evidence that she's even slightly drug-addled.) Occasional songs sounded like light-weight Nick Cave, and some bits were straight piano jazz. The songs were free-form and rambling, yet also performed with very exact timing. I've no idea how they do that.
After a fairly epic attempt to get drinks from the bar and some more from DJ 78, the slightly augemented Broken Family Band took to the stage. In addition to their usual singer/lead guitar/bass/drums, they'd acquired an accordion-playing female singer, and regular jobbing string-thing player Tim. The bass player had a remarkably slim-line acoustic bass; I didn't know they made them that thin.
I would have described the BFB - who are, incidentally, what you get when some people who like rock and indie play country music (yes, I know I said the C-word, but you should really give them a try) - as reasonably acoustic-sounding anyway. Some of their songs actually didn't sound that much different to usual. Others demonstrated what a rock sound they normally have, with the lead guitarist bending strings like mad to compensate for his lack of distortion.
I initially had some qualms that their singer's voice also wasn't quite up to the job of being heard without a friendly sound-guy to boost the levels, but things turned out ok. For bonus points, up to four of them were singing some of the time. Sometimes they were even on the stage - at one point someone appeared singing just behind us, having plonked themselves down in spare seat. Like many great bands, they appear to produce the music effortlessly, even slightly self-deprecatingly.
Incidentally, I had to revise my opinion of the earlier band having minimalist drums when the BFB's drummer dispensed with the tambourine (under right foot) and woodblock (under left foot) and triangle used by SWP's drummer, retaining just the snare drum and cymbal. He did produce quite a good bass drum effect, though, by stamping on the stage.
Have you ever noticed how some things are just funny ? Jam is funnier than honey. Ducks are funnier than hens. The bassoon is funnier than the clarinet. The BFB are amusing onstage anyway, but somehow acoustic instruments are funnier than their electric kin. I don't know why. They just are. Several members of the BFB are also inherently funny. SWP's drummer's triangle playing was hilarious. It's a long time since I've laughed that much - and I very nearly spat Grolsch over the row of people in front of me several times. I also know where the remainder of my Christmas-present money is going.
OK, bands: the race is on. By January 14th I've already got a hot contender for gig of the year. I'm also keen to see who they get for Naked Nights in the future.
