Tonight sees another interesting change form Plantation ’s usual gig format- an acoustic gig. Going on this information alone, one would suspect that the café would be more or less deserted, given that the popular choice of music in Plantation these days seems to be a nice, angsty emo band. However, since the café is packed, one would forgive a person for wondering what interest these rock kids have in what is essentially a night of folk music. The answer is in the second act- Frank Turner; a.k.a. the ex-lead singer of Million Dead. Word has spread fast about the presence of this man tonight, and the crowd are obviously chuffed to have the opportunity to see him.

 

Tonight’s scheduled opener, Michelle Lewis, is sadly unable to perform, as she has apparently been deported back to the United States . So playing in her stead is acoustic 3-piece ED AGAINST THE ELEMENTS, who really set the tone for the evening. Their beautifully arranged folk balladry combines intricately picked acoustic guitars, soothing backing violin, and a lead vocal reminiscent of a less nasal Bob Dylan. They create an atmosphere that is melancholy, yet somehow uplifting, driving and rhythmic, yet also chilled and relaxed. It’s a beautiful sight to see, and their music inspires a calm, almost wistful state of mind.

 

Next up is the act everyone has been waiting for- FRANK TURNER. Taking a firm step away from his career so far, he leaves behind the frantic punk/rock of Million Dead, celebrating his love of Johnny Cash and Neil Young in his folk/acoustic solo act. The first thing one notices is how stripped down the act itself is. It’s nothing more than him and his guitar; No backing vocalists or strings, no drummer, not even another guitarist. Even the actual music itself is stripped down. Choosing not to pack his songs with acoustic guitar noodling, he puts little into the music, and much into the message behind the lyrics. There is a real sense of honesty in the words he sings- songs about real people, real situations; waking up with a hangover in a strange flat, writing songs about girlfriends who eventually leave, staying up all night with friends. And although he may not be the most technically skilled singer in the world, the emotion behind what he is singing shows through extremely poignantly. The second thing one notices is that not only is this a talented musician, but a genuinely funny guy. He keeps the crowd entertained between songs with witty onstage banter -‘Let’s hear it for my mum!’- without being pretentious and wittering on for hours on end. For someone who has gigged professionally for several years in a band which received critical acclaim, he is also extremely humble, and is self deprecating to the point of insecurity. Yet his experience shows through in his complete confidence with the crowd, despite his self deprecation. He spends the entire set tiptoeing around Plantation’s no-swearing policy, admitting at the start that he has somewhat of a dirty mouth, and slipping up constantly, earning all round laughter every time. He even slips in a couple of covers; Million Dead’s After the Rush Hour, and an extremely tongue-in-cheek rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen. Tonight, Frank Turner is a true showman, and (pardon the pun) frankly, anyone who can change the lyrics to a song protesting against Margaret Thatcher from a particularly unpleasant F-word to ‘Thatcher was-thoroughly-unpleasant-to the kids’, and get away with it, is alright by me.

 

Finally, the headlining act, 5 piece THE GABBY YOUNG COLLECTIVE. These guys instantly grab the crowd’s attention, with their groovy soulful music. They display a mix of influences, mixing soul, jazz, blues and funk, and also showing quite a few noticeable similarities to the trippy progressive rock of Pink Floyd. The focus here is less on a ‘performance act’, or indeed on the lyrics, as with the previous act, than on the music itself as a whole sound. Miss Young’s powerful soul voice is supported wonderfully by jazzy drums, funky, effect-laden electric lead guitar, reggae-like rhythm acoustic guitar and the solid groove of the bassist, all of which fuses to create a sound that is dark and moody, sexy and sensuous, danceable and boppy all at once. Their songs rise and fall like waves dashing themselves against a rock, building from quiet reflective moments to a veritable wall of sound, without ever being too loud or too quiet. This is music that wakes you up abruptly, throws you against a wall, picks you up and rocks you to sleep again. As closing number Button rises to an apocalyptic crescendo before climaxing with a soul-wrenching vocal solo, someone says something to me which sticks in my mind- These are songs to get lost in. And they are. Very rarely are we presented with a band which does something really different, changing the musical landscape, giving music lovers something to really think about. This is not just a great band, but an amazing music experience.

 

Take Care,

Jamie Webster