24 February 2012 (gig)
27 February 2012
Never in my life have I heard a crowd shushing everyone when a band arrived on stage. The vibe in the room was electric in anticipation. Opening with ‘Here Comes the Storm’ Rich Thomas’ earthy vocals combined with moody percussion and a heavy bass ripped through the floor. One song in and the audience was gripped!
Before the next song, Rich Thomas spoke to the room - “A year ago 10-15 people came to watch us and a year on we are performing on a Friday night at the Borderline”. Genuine and lacking in ego, next they played ‘Back to Shore’ a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on Xfm’s Rock show or Magic FM’s Drivetime. Leaving any misconceived comparisons to Mumford and Sons in the dust, the band manage to combine the anger of Black Sabbath with the melodic styling’s of Pearl Jam. But to be honest, comparisons do Brother& Bones a disservice.
Near the end of the set was ‘Gold and Silver’ where the stage was left to Rich Thomas. An exceptionally beautiful track and emotive vocal brought the house down. The room was entranced and the accompanying silence was only broken by the occasional click of people filming the band on their phones. Exploding from the hushed beauty of ‘Gold and Silver’ came ‘Man in Need’ bringing with it the a crowd singing back every word twice as loud!
And just as soon as it begun, the set ended. Not to be deprived of the epic music, the desperate crows chanted “one more song… one more song”. The lads performed two more tracks – ‘No Soul’ and ‘Stand Alone’ – each as barnstorming as the original set. After thanking everyone for coming and leaving the stage, the whole room stood routed to the spot cheering “one more song!” Proof of a very loyal and growing fan base!
I have an inkling Brother & Bones will outgrow venues like the Borderline. These guys should be playing the big festivals in a couple of years and filling places like Brixton Academy or the Hammersmith Apollo. Not just talented, their stage-presence is electric and they aren’t half bad looking either – testified by the swarms of well-groomed young women in the audience. But don’t let that fool you, they have the whole package and deserve to have longevity in this industry. Brother & Bones are the best live act you will see this year.
