This was the album launch show for Ward Thomas' debut album 'From Where We Stand' and also the start of their current UK tour. The Islington was packed, with an audience that seemed to be split about 60% under 25 to 40% over 40 and almost no one in-between. I arrived just as the support act finished so only saw Ward Thomas and considering how hot it was in The Islington that was no bad thing.
The twin sisters comprising Ward Thomas are joined onstage by an English percussionist and guitarist rather than the Nashville session men on the album. They opened with an acapella version of Loretta Lynn's You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man) which proved straight away that their harmonies were going to be every bit as good live as they are on the album. A good version with very minimal percussion from a resonator box.
Not sure what the second song was but they added guitar and drums to the mix and it became quite clear that Lizzy reminded me a lot of Reese Witherspoon playing June Carter Cash in Walk The Line both in terms of her voice and her playful approach. It was followed by a nicely laid back Way Back When although as they are only 20 it couldn't have been that far back, I guess.
For Footnotes, Lizzy and Catherine both played acoustic guitars to add to the electric the band's guitarist was playing. This both fleshed out the sound and made them sound like they were ready for a hoedown. As soon as they announced they were going to play their current single, Push For The Stride, the place went mad and when they asked who had heard it on the radio about half the audience answered Yes! It went down a storm and almost everyone joined in on the chorus.
They tried to sort out the confusion surrounding the title song to the album. The LP is called From Where We Stand and the song is From Where I stand. There's no confusion about it being another great country song, however, with a bit of the Tammy Wynette's about it. It was adroitly followed by Go To Plan and judging by the audience's reaction this show was very much going to plan even if some of the Yee Ha Henry's were having a little trouble not talking while they played. They were, however, young enough that they might be forgiven.
They then had a jokey intro to Cartwheels while they tried to work out what the instrument the guitarist was going to play was. Could it be a Mandolin Cello or an Mandocello? Either way it sounded great and along with the sisters acoustic guitars really worked very well. They then did Wasted Words: a song whose careworn lyrics sound wrong coming from such young women as it sounds more like it should be sung by someone much older.
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Next up was another one of the songs that everyone seemed to know already, Top Of The Guest List. They hammed up a bit and it sounded a lot more fun live than it does on the album. They then slowed things down for the old classic Caledonia that also had about the only wrong (or missed) notes of the evening about a third of the way through when Catherine was trying to show something to the guitarist. Not sure what the confusion was about but it was a momentary blip in an otherwise very tight and assured set.
They closed the show by asking us if anyone knew where Ugley was. Well I for one used to race through it when I was much younger but they were introducing A Town Called Ugley which is all about going round in circles in and around Ugley which on those Essex country roads is all too easy to do.
The place went mad at the end and they were back quick enough for an encore. Asked if there were any requests, I wish they'd heard the Industry face next to me when he called out for Stairway To Heaven but instead they gave into calls for a reprise of Push For The Stride. Second time around, it had even more people singing along and provided a great end to a very good set of country songs.
Catch Ward Thomas live now while they are still playing in small venues as they really seem to be a young band going places.
Ward Thomas online
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