Bar Sonic

I’d been nervous about Friday’s gig for days, my heart was pounding at the thought. For those of you not familiar with Bar Sonic, it’s small and in Deptford. You wouldn’t think it would be so daunting, the thing that was getting me was the knowledge that every face in there would be a friends. Though all of them have come to gigs at one time or another for some of them it had been quite a while, for others it was their first electric gig. The important thing to me was it actually mattered that each individual had a good night. Normally someone’s not going to get it, you can’t please everyone and I don’t expect to, that night though I wished we could.

We started with a new song “Emily” , I finger pick it and Jim comes in with driving complementary chords, it really took off. I like it when a new song feels that good first time out. Then there was a bit of fooling around. I get a bit of stick for not saying what songs are written about, I’m not being cagey I just think people would rather listen to the song than me talking about the song. It turns out I’m wrong. To test this theory I made up a couple of signs, sort of subtitles, one word descriptions saying ‘Sex’ and the other ‘Death’, this covers all bases. Once Bob joined us onstage I’d stopped holding up the cards and I was still getting asked for clarification, I’m going to remember this lesson. There was a bit of instrument swapping over the next few songs and a mood shift over the evening that ended up with dancing, not bad at all.

We played 2x45 minute sets and we had a bunch of friendly faces some singing along and we had the bar staff jumping, the landlord bought both the albums, and we all left feeling richer, or was that just me?

I've got a good feling about this

All day Friday Jim was saying “I’ve got a good feeling about this” and I like to hear that, but as we were approaching the venue I was beginning to question his sanity. Yes it was beautiful, rural Essex, with thatched cottages in painted pale colours and covered in patterned plasterwork. Yes it was a beautiful evening in the perfect setting to enjoy a beautiful evening, trees, rolling hills, fields of sheep, but when I’m about to play a gig I want fields full of tents, or smoky old cities. I want PEOPLE. So, situated in the middle of this bucolic backwater was the venue, High Barn, Great Bardfield.

Now I’ve been known to use the word ‘barn’ as an insult when talking about a venue. Sound tends to get lost in the roof or bounces around the place till it’s muddy and indecipherable. But when we got onstage for sound check I was blown away. The sound was incredible, so human and intimate, I can not remember the last time I sang into a system that perfectly set up for the venue. Lovely lovely lovely, by the time James the Sound had balanced our guitars and vocals my heart was beating like a drum.

My faith in Jim’s intuition restored we were given the next blinding bit of info… the night had SOLD OUT. 160 seats in a village that might not have 160 houses in it and the venue was rammed – how are these people getting it so right, tell me how? There were four acts booked that night, a bit of folk, something jazzy, a solo pop person with a show tune twist (nice hat Stuart) and Bruise.

What can I tell you other than it was proper? I’m serious, it felt amazing. Candles everywhere, a sound system that made us feel as comfortable as if we were on our own sofa. The audience was so attentive I could whisper into the mic and feel it impacting on the whole room, ooooOO. No one had a long set, no one needed one. We played 6 songs and when we got off stage strangers were quoting lyrics back at me, and you know you’ve made an impact when that happens. I think that was the most musical experience I’ve had this year, and unless we get booked to play the Barbican Center or possibly the Royal Festival Hall I cannot see us having a more musical experience this year.

If you’re interested in the Tec specs for High Barn check out this months issue of Audio Media, they’re front page. And if you’re interested in hearing us live check out the gig listings on our myspace and get yourselves in the audience! X