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The more I learn about Stornoway, the more I suspect they were invented with the sole purpose of being crucified by Liam Gallagher in one of his infamous broad Mancunian rants. Singer Brian Briggs has a PhD in Ornithology from Oxford, doesn’t own a television and is already vociferously concerned about his band’s carbon footprint. And as if that weren’t enough to get Messrs Gallagher trembling with rage, Stornoway also number among their ranks a holder of a master’s degree and a part-time Russian translator. Fookin’ hippies...
However, for all their intellectual prowess, Stornoway are ostensibly keen to immerse themselves in charming, traditional folk music. The five graduate musicians gave an understated and at times curiously simplistic showcase of their forthcoming album Beachcomber’s Windowsill to a packed Derwent Bar on Tuesday (the campus ducks were, no doubt, a source of interest for birdwatcher Briggs).
Support from Birdman Rallies and John Williams And The Boat prove an ideal warm-up; both bands emit gentle melodies, soft guitar licks and generally provide pleasant accompaniment for the ripples of anticipation from the audience. When Stornoway eventually do get on stage at around ten o’ clock, they immediately disappoint; in an uninspiring opener, Briggs groans through a slow, generic country track before moving swiftly into probable album inclusion ‘The Cold Harbour Road’. With the crowd still stationary and silent, this really is too passionate and deep for this early in the set. It makes me feel as though I have a duty to get emotional, but I just can’t be bothered.
Things do pick up a bit with the airing of their latest release ‘I Saw You Blink’. It’s jangly acoustic pop, rather like The Shins and The Corrs, and sounds pretty good in a small venue. That said, it isn’t long before the band ominously depart and Briggs is left with just an acoustic guitar to bore everybody’s fingernails off with some dull folk. As a frontman, Briggs does have a certain charisma, and he shyly rattles off witticisms throughout the night, but an exciting entertainer he is not.
As the set wears on, we do get some evidence that Stornoway have an eye for quirky retro-country composition. ‘On The Rocks’ builds magnificently and ‘Zorbing’ is met with recognition, if not, dare I say it, mild enthusiasm. Encore ‘We Are The Battery Human’, with its wry tongue-in-cheek sentiment, is well composed and does make toes tap in appreciation, but the gig is over before it ever gets going. The gathered undergraduates are rooted to the spot and their faces remain expressionless throughout: it’s like a giant game of ‘Guess Who’.
Stornoway are talented, mature musicians. Briggs’ songs are well-crafted, intelligent and thoughtful and there’s definitely a fanbase out there for this quirky, bright troupe of artists. If you want my advice, buy the album, it’ll be good. But don’t ever, ever go and see it performed live.
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