On a miserable, windswept Brighton night I head down to Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar for the first monthly night from BrightonsFinest. Stepping inside the atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the stage is attractively dressed with village fête bunting, fairy lights and a merch presented in vintage suitcases. We are soon treated to a promising set from Bournemouth band Willowen, these guys are young and fresh-faced but have an impressive list of support slots on their CV (including Moulettes, Paul Heaton and KT Tunstall, who they cover in their set). As the band perform it is clear why they got the bookings, as musicians they are accomplished beyond their years. The trio play an upbeat folky set combining acoustic guitar, violin and percussion with lots of vocal harmonies and a sunny disposition. It’s a charming, buoyant start to the night and I expect they will go far!

I’m expecting big things from Emma Gatrill, who is probably best known for her work as part of the collective of musicians that make up Sons of Noel And Adrian. Multi-instrumentalist Emma sticks to the harp for her solo material and is accompanied by an electric guitar run through a smorgasbord of effects pedals. The results are fantastic: the haunting, timeless sound of the harp sings arpeggios over the top of the shimmery, sweeping swells conjured from the guitarists box of tricks. This quickly transforms the mood of the room, in response to this more intimate sound the crowd spontaneously begin to sit in hushed reverence. She comes across very well on stage, with a warm welcoming smile and an easy manner that is really endearing. It’s hard for me not to think of Joanna Newsom as, aside from the harp, there is also something about Emma’s vocal delivery that is reminiscent of the American star. However, to my ears, Emma Gatrill is far less ‘marmite’ and unlike Newsom I could listen to her sing all night (if I wasn’t really looking forward to the next band)!

 

It’s been a little while since I saw Apples & Eve supporting Shona Foster at The Old Market last year. Back then they were impressive, but a busy start to the year has seen rave reviews and plenty of radio play for new single ‘L’Homme (The Man)’ and the affect on the band is obvious. Tonight we were presented with a more confident, tighter group than I’d seen before. Singer Eva Howells was already a captivating presence at the front of the stage, now the band behind her comes across as more comfortable and more convincing. They cast a powerful spell on the audience and almost from the first note the atmosphere shifts again and soon the room is full of dancing, smiling bodies. They begin with ‘Dionysus’, the first track from their debut EP, but it feels like the arrangement has been tweaked, with a lovely acapella vocal intro and stronger backing vocals throughout. Current single ‘L’Homme’ is a real highlight, enchanting us all with shuffling rhythms and sweet vocal harmonies that I find echoing through my head on the walk home. We also get treated to some new material I’d not heard before, featuring more of the reggae tinged grooves we first encountered on EP track ‘Creatures of the Sea’. This blends well with the gypsy folk at the core of their sound and results in a more buoyant, more energetic group than I remembered last time. It’s a real pleasure to see so much infectious joy in the room, both on and off stage, for the duration of the set I manage to forget all about this dreadful weather we’ve been having! Make no mistake Apples & Eve are heading for the big time and if you haven’t yet you really have to see their live show.
Adam Kidd