Trinitarians and De La Soul fans will tell you that three is the magic number. Tonight, however, two holds its own, as a trio of duos bring their varied offerings to the good folk of Manchester.
First up are Fence Collective associates THE ABRAHAM'S, who present a mixed bag of pretty psych-folk. Joanna Foster’s fragile voice and wounded words are backed by minimal drums, acoustic guitar and keyboards, with herself and Rick Lyons swapping instruments as the mood takes them. At one point Foster apologises about her tacky keyboard sound, saying the songs sound better when accompanied by piano. To these ears however, the crappy keyboard contributed a pleasing, ramshackle end-of-the-pier feel to some of The Abraham’s livelier numbers, providing a welcome contrast to more ethereal tunes.
Local lo-fi favourites THE FORMER BULLIES are next up. I don’t know where they got their name - like most of us sensitive types here tonight, Nick Ainsworth and Tom Settle look more like the formerly bullied. Sonically, The Former Bullies are in the same garage as Kid Dakota and early White Stripes. They do indeed make a fine racket, let down by some pretty cringe-y lyrics and Chorley-born Ainsworth’s faux-American singing voice. Minor quibbles aside, The Former Bullies are an energetic live band with an exciting dynamic. Expect to see them supporting an alt-country hero near you.
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Jeremy Barnes is a one-time member of psychedelic pop combos Neutral Milk Hotel and Broadcast, but with A HAWK AND A HACKSAW he is ploughing an entirely different furrow. Heavy of beard and wearing a handy cymbal-covered percussion hat (I’m not joking), Barnes plays accordion, accompanied by violinist Heather Trost. Together they create a heady, hypnotic sound, blending Eastern European and American folk styles.
At the beginning of the set Barnes invites the audience to move in and join them on stage. Thus surrounded, Barnes spends most of the gig, eyes closed, apparently drawing energy from all around him. I may be talking pretentious bollocks, but this was a truly mesmerizing musical event, with Barnes and Trost taking a willing crowd into previously unheard musical areas. The set was mostly whirling, wordless folk trance of a surprising intensity, but Barnes brought us back to earth with a whispered miner’s lament. And then A Hawk and a Hacksaw were gone, leaving open-mouthed wonder in their wake.
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