FIELDS and NOAH AND THE WHALE

Charlie on the Ukulele, Noah and The Whale


Matty, Fields

What a premonition last weeks gig was - a sort of 'ingredients for Glastonbury' show with both the land and the flood being forecast by the bands. First up we had the lovely Noah and The Whale, (leaving the arc and animals at home till the weekend) followed by
Fields who enjoyed not being flooded and had a string quartet on stage with them to celebrate the fact.

I had a lovely evening. Two bands singing about everything life and nature. Noah and the Whale were sounding on top form with the addition of their newly appointed violinist, Tom, who excelled in his soloist passages and seemed comfortable with the group.
It would be hard not to feel comfortable with this lot, they are such a friendly bunch and welcomed me warmly when I ventured backstage for a chat. These guys are not stand-offish egotists but instead a group of friends first and foremost, all from Teddington near Richmond - a place of rivers, ducks and pubs. This relaxed green environment shines through in their personalities and music. For example, the band could have got pretty riled that they were still waiting on their snare drum just moments before going on, that there were no toilets for them to use backstage and that they had not been provided with a bottle opener so the mighty Laura had to do it with her teeth(ouch), but they didn't. They were giggling and easy going, letting me take some hilarious pictures of them too.




There is no sense of resentment or competition in this band; they all happily confirmed that Charlie is the front man and songwriter. The others are there to help realise this young man's vision, and to suggest minor changes and developments. The result is inspiring and a joy to watch on stage. Matt - who seen here playing the harmonium, also plays bass melodica and glock..

If you have to make comparisons, it would be to other folk - country music because of a shared use of similar rhythms and instruments. You can also hear the influence of Bob Dylan and other folk masters in the concentration on lyrics, chords and arrangement. If you haven't heard it already, you must listen to Peaceful the World on their myspace http://www.myspace.com/hatracket. It's a very earthy song and the lyrics are astute and touching.
'There is no endless devotion that is free from the force of erosion,
and if you don't believe in God, how can you believe in Love,
when we're all just matter that will one day scatter
when peaceful the world lays us down.'
This one, unsurprisingly, went down a treat last week, as did all the others. Jump on the arc with Noah and the Whale people, I'm loving the peace boat.



Next up Fields. They were on mighty form and proving themselves to be a dynamic band full of energy, enthusiasm and musical prowess. They have come a long way since their days of writing in a shed back in Warwickshire, and I felt that the addition of the string quartet for a live performance at the ICA was proof of this, a kind of landmark on their exciting journey.
Their first album, Everything Last Winter released last April has set them on a good path, it includes plenty of well produced tracks with that rich, melancholy sound that started, and has kept the fans flowing in. Concerts at Borderline, Reading Festival and all around the country have continued to spread the Fields gospel and their very trendy website, http://www.fieldsband.com, gives all new fans a comprehensive and visually stimulating place to find out about all the latest news and gigs.

I was definitely in the company of some serious fans on Monday, one guy had been to see them 4 times this year! Now that's dedication.

I think people are getting into Fields for a few reasons. On Monday I was struck by..

How strong they are musically. They produce a rich and epic sound boosted by string quartets (occasionally), electronic sounds from the keyboard and synths, harmonized vocals, various guitars, a lot of feedback, and drums.

The emotional force of the music. They often use wistful, or nostalgic sounding chords alongside serious subject matter which evokes high emotions in the listener. However, these emotions are rarely sad, but full of hope because of dramatic escalations in rhythm and sound that lead to epic, cathartic climaxes.

The organic nature of the band. There is a warm and human feel in the irregularity to this group. The front man Matty is a like a lovely terrier; or tin tin with his quiff.Big in personality and charisma but small in person. He stood next to Nick, a giant of a guy in comparison but more demure in character and style.The electric guitar player, Jamie added some urban charm with his skinny jeans and styled hairdo (a cut occurred backstage apparently )
and a super-star 'blondie-esque' lady- (yes made up language) from far off lands, Thorunn, had that confidence and je ne sais qois that girls and boys alike admire.
This naturally varied mix of appearance and personality stops them from leaning towards a niche crowd or trend.. and avoids the manufactured look too.

Ultimately, Fields were great. They have that big sound that unfortunately for us at the ICA means they may not stay on the contemporary underground circuit for long. Onwards to large venues and large audiences for these guys I'd imagine...but we shall see, we shall see.....

OK well I think that about covers it - just a quick blog this week... My mind is on all things ITUNES which I hope everyone is getting excited about - try your hand at the lottery system if you have not already!!

Madame T x