This seemed to be the show everyone wanted to be at, and frankly I am not surprised. Willkommen Records had put together a line up which showed off some of the best folk talent to come from British soil in recent times. Multi-instrumentalists galore, as nearly everyone played with everyone else which brought a lovely light-hearted and friendly atmosphere to the show.
 
Brighton based Emma Gatrill started the proceeding in immaculate form. On stage she was joined by a keyboardist/backing vocalist who had flown to England from Berlin via America for this performance, Marcus Hamblett who is the man behind Willkommen Records and played great atmospherics on the electric guitar, but the centrepiece was Emma who played the harp as well as electric pedal organ. Emma’s classic story telling was enough to send shivers down the spine (in a good way) as her enchanting soft vocals emoted a beautiful and comforting image, but haunting at the same time. Marcus added to the dream like atmosphere using (I counted) 13 effect pedals to create an ethereal layer of sound. A truly heavenly performance that you wished to never end.
 
Rozi Plain was an artist I was most looking forward to seeing on the bill. Rozi, who originates from Winchester, recently released a new single ‘Actually’ which has become a song I can’t stop playing, and has a video which gives a perfect portrayal of her quirky persona as well as featuring her parents. Rozi (guitar and lead vocals) was joined on stage by Kate Stables (bass and backing vocals), Neil Smith (guitar) and Jamie Whitby-Coles (drums) who are all members of This Is The Kit. The set surpassed my already high expectations, where they played three already released tracks, three new tracks off her upcoming album Friend, and an unreleased track. Marcus and Emma played trumpet and clarinet on a few tracks adding to the glorious sound. Rozi was happy to natter to the audience between tracks, recalling how she had on that day collected a box of records she had left on a train a year ago, saying that they could have been quicker to let her know instead of letting them gather dust in the Southern Rail Lost Property office. This produced a good chuckle from the audience, appealing to Brighton’s hatred for the useless train company. Cannot wait for her new album – cannot wait to see her perform in Brighton again.
 
This Is The Kit is a folk-rock project led by Kate Staples. The line-up of musicians stayed exactly the same, just Kate and Rozi switched positions. Their performance commanded attention from the start and throughout the audiences’ silence was bliss. Kate swapped between the delicate play of her banjo, and the more raucous sound of an electric guitar, her voice pure and pitch perfect, excelled when she did a couple of songs unaccompanied. You could liken her to an English Sharon Von Etten, producing enticing and mesmerising songs which were powerful yet quaint. Jamie’s drumming was always exemplary, getting the most out of the relatively simple kit and never over complicating a song. Neil’s electric guitar brought a new level to the songs, almost psychedelic in parts, but never trying to be bigger than the song. We got to hear some tracks from their new album ‘Bashed Out’ with the title track being a standout of the set, although the set as a whole was the real highlight. Kate’s willingness to interact with the audience and the overall relaxed nature of the band was infectious and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the breakthrough year for This Is The Kit.
 
This is a concert that will stay with me forever. A truly wonderful evening that honestly couldn’t have been better. Make sure you buy your tickets early for Willkommen Records next show on 24th November, details to be announced.
Iain Lauder