Brother and Bones at Falmouth Pavilions 1st March 2014

Brother and Bones coming home, well not exactly because I think only Richard Thomas actually comes from Cornwall, but nevertheless, it feels like they are a Cornish band. Can you think of any other successful band from Cornwall?...No. Maybe there has been one but nobody can remember, so perhaps you can forgive me for claiming B&B as a Cornish band....please.

We saw Richard Thomas support Cara Dillon at Falmouth and I thought that he was amazingly talented and then we went to a barn party where B&B were supporting a soul covers band. Although I have to admit to being a little worse for wear I was completely blown away. Here was a band playing unique music and getting a fantastic reception from an audience that had no expectations hearing their songs for the 1st time.

The next time I saw them was as a support act to the Kaiser Chiefs at The Eden Project Summer 2013, and I was so disappointed because so few were there to actually see them. On a baking hot sunny day, so rare in Cornwall, maybe 100 people  were there early enough to see them. And they really deserved better, because they shone in their 30 minute set, which was far better than anything coming along, until Tom Tom Club.

So the chance to see them at The Pavilions in Falmouth was too good to miss and only a 30 minute drive. No, why not make it a whole weekend away? oh and stay in a B&B pub renowned for its real ale, now that sounds like a plan!

Only 20 miles away as the crow flies but might as well be the moon if you want to get there by train especially with the weather we've been having.

So, after battling through a Force 10 gale down to the station we found a tree had blown across the line and the St Ives branch Line was closed. Oh Dear! not a good start!

Luckily Sophie saved the day, No, not a 1960's comedy with lots of double entendres but a stroke of luck, when when one of our friends was driving up the hill as we trudged back home.

A lift to St Erth station put us back on track so to speak.

The curse of this winters poor weather was still haunting us with a 4 hour power cut at St Erth station and the train only starting from St Erth due to the infrastructure at Penzance station having being wiped out by 'The Great Valentines Day Storm'

We actually made it to Falmouth without any further drama and had time for a pint at Wetherspoons before booking in to our B&B.

Now we all know that Wetherspoons can be good and they can be awful. Penzance falling into the awful category but Falmouth is......pretty damn good.

The staff are all pretty good, apologising when you have to wait and making  a real effort to serve you in order. The food we tried later and was also impressive, maybe the manager deserves a pat on the back and a bonus to spread round the staff.

The nice thing about Falmouth is that it is a pretty lively place with some decent shops and plenty of great pubs. Impossible, you would think, in Cornwall where usually the highlight of the town centre is the Pasty shop and if your lucky a Peacocks.

For Falmouth its saving has been the coming of the University, bringing with it numerous benefits to the town. A buzzing social scene, restaurants, shops and improved rail services to name but a few.

So I can find two record/cd shops to browse and find Rory Gallagher 'Stage Struck' live, a vinyl record of it I had after seeing him at Oxford New Theatre in 1980.

Now this prompts me to think about how music influences come to you and I'm thinking here that I must pursue that one further. But Thanks to Jeff Pearson.. I was lucky to see Rory live.

There is also one of those pubs you go to that you never forget.....the Turf Tavern of Falmouth has got to be Beerwolf Books, tucked away off the main street in a small courtyard. You could be mistaken at first sight in thinking it is just a bookshop. But that's a big No, because it is a book shop, but inside a pub, so you can choose a book whilst drinking a choice of some 6 or so real ales and a similar number of ciders, and the prices of the books are pretty good too.

So we decided to make a weekend of it rather than just going over for the evening and having to drive back. And suddenly the sun came out, not something we had witnessed in Cornwall for sometime, but welcome nevertheless. So we got on a ferry boat and went to St Mawes. It got so warm we had to take off our coats.

Back to Falmouth for a few more beers and get ready for the gig.

Last time I was here was for Michael Schenker and I was surprised then how busy it was, but now it was heaving and it was nice to meet some friends from St Ives who had come on a specially organised coach.

The Pavilions is now a top venue with a good bar and there was a good support from Sound of the Sirens who were a pretty impressive female duo who managed to keep the attention of the waiting audience. Sam Williams and the Flock of Bats were not quite so impressive. Obviously talented and with some really nice songs. Maybe the audience would have been more receptive to their tender and laid back set if they had been first on the bill.

Regrettably I couldn't hear the singer over the incessant chat from the audience and gave in to the pull of another pint of Tribute at the bar, but I would like to see them in a more appropriate venue sometime.

Virtually a sell out the main attraction was Brother and Bones and the atmosphere built as the crowd poured in from the bar, luckily we had a good position not far from the front but far enough away from the mosh pit that happened not far into the set.

I love the fact that a band can create the atmosphere but try to avoid the mosh pit if possible.

There are a couple of things that stand out about Brother and Bones, one being Richard Thomas the singer and acoustic guitarist, who is a great
front man without really trying and the other is James Willard the lead guitarist.......... he is guitar genius. |James creates incredible sounds and effects whilst leaping around like a demon. I don't know how he does it.

Richard has the energy, the image and the voice, and writes imaginative, lyrical, anthems. He sings with a powerful soulful voice.

Half way through they gave him the stage for an acoustic rendition of 'Silver and Gold' before picking up the pace again to leave everyone genuinely screaming for an encore.

What more could you ask for in Cornwall, a really class band, playing to a receptive audience and that incredible feeling that this is something good that you are privileged to experiencing before everyone else catches on. Maybe not everyone though as the Dutch seam to be a little ahead of us. They sold out various venues including in Amsterdam earlier in February as part of this tour.

Be assured hat this band has some class songs and probably all-importantly put their music over to their audience with such energy that it embraces you and lifts you. Highly recommended for a listen. And catch them live if you can...