There was a warm welcome for everybody who entered the laid back atmosphere at Bleach, which was much needed after the half hour wait outside whilst they dealt with some technical issues. A bellowing cello from the first support Eyes & No Eyes started the evening off before they went into their first song. The four piece Brighton band are part of the Willkommen Collective and produce an enticing experimental rock. Eyes & No Eyes feature Tristram Bawtree on vocals and guitar, Becca Mears on a cello which gave a rich deepness to their sound, Marcus Hamblett who maintained most of the tune on bass, and Thomas Heather who is one of my favourite drummers to watch in Brighton. I found their sound was similar to Wild Beast’s but with a slightly more melancholic tone, mixing folk ideas with alt-rock rhythms. An impressive mid-way interpretive jam expressed the bands more experimental side, playing with an array of effect pedals, before seamlessly heading into their next song. A band every Brightonian should try to catch, as they are sure to impress.

 

Farao, who have joined Dan Mangan on all of this UK tour, was the next act on stage and is led by Norwegian songwriter Kari Jahnsen. The duo consist of a drummer playing a tight but ordinary beat as well as looping keyboard synths, and Kari switching between an electric guitar and a keyboard. After the first song I thought the Farao sound was comparable to Beach House’s interesting and wistful melodies, but it became more and more apparent with each song that this was straight up alternative pop. As it went on, no song was able to hold my attention past the first chorus. And when Farao attempted to make their ordinary sound more interesting, it was even more off putting. Their lyrics and vocals were very much the bands strong point, so I plead for them to think more outside the box and come up with something more thought provoking and less generic sounding.

 

Dan Mangan + Blacksmith stepped on stage to a roar from the expectant crowd of loyal fans. Vancouver based Dan Mangan is a contributor to Canada’s Huffington Post as well as The Guardian’s Arts section, and has won two Juno Awards in 2012 for best new artist and best alternative album. Having already gained a local following when he previously played acoustic solo shows in Brighton coffee shops, Dan brings his latest album along with his band Blacksmith who also featured on the record. His fourth album, Club Meds, is a great listen (having a more anguished feel than his previous material) and has given me a keen sense of anticipation for the show. Reverbing electric guitar, a funky bass line and an echoing trumpet create a delicious sound that was matched with Dan’s excellent folk voice. There were big cheers when the band started playing ‘Starts With Them, Ends With Us’ (from the 2011 Oh Fortune album), which is about the time he spent in Guatemala. This made me think – I really don’t know what people see in bands like Mumford And Sons when there are artists making folk like this with much better instrumentation with meaningful lyrics. As the show went on the music became a more art rock sound with a slight folky edge. Dan’s engaging stage presence was alluring, explaining songs and joking with the audience all the way through the set. Blacksmith were fantastic, showcasing their ability with awesome drum and guitar solos which erupted into rock jams – and the crowd were going crazy for it, bobbing throughout the performance. ‘New Skies’ closed the show (being the final song on New Meds as well) and was my favourite track of the night – bass guitar and powerful vocals erupted in heavy emotion after a soft start to the song, making it an enthralling and memorable finish. The encore though, produced the best moment of the Dan Mangan + Blacksmith show, with an audience sing along that was far better than Dan could have imagined and leaving him with a massive grin on his face. He looked to have enjoyed this concert as much as we did.

Iain Lauder