Review: The Besnard Lakes/Wolf People/Mr Bones and the Dreamers @ Hare and Hounds by Lee Hall
March 30th, 2010

Birmingham Promoters are vast making themselves a name in Midlands as a company able to produce when it comes to bringing music to the Birmingham scene and Tuesday promised to be another such occasion. Sporting a line up that consisted of Canadians, cockneys and some good old local talent from the West Midlands in the form of Mr Bones and the Dreamers, the evening was pact full of surprises.

Mr Bones and the Dreamers

A seven piece folk/Americana group, the Midlands representatives presented a formidable and somewhat confusing sight on stage as their mixture of styles and lack of cohesion left the audience unsure of what was about to transpire. After a visibly nervous and shaky start that included some trembling vocals from lead singer Keiran, the band soon found their feet and pulled off a mature performance. Having put the initial nerves behind him the lead singer, whose voice was a strange mixture of Editors lead singer Tom Smith and Harry McVeigh from the white lies, went on to give one of the most emotional performances I have seen for a long while. Often sitting or kneeling at the front of the stage looking like a broken man, he captured perfectly a good balance of the necessary stage man appeal and endearing shyness that drew the crowd into the performance. His on stage plight was often emphasised by the haunting beauty of the accompanying violin eloquently performed by Anna, resulting in a compelling tenderness and sensitivity that is a rarity today. Mr Bones and the Dreamers managed to redefine my limited views of what folk is and what it is to become.

Wolf People

What the name lacks in presence the performance made up in bundles as this four piece from London lit up the dreary Tuesday skies of Birmingham. Undoubtedly the stars of the evening Wolf People’s polished performance was indicative of their years together honing their craft. Lead singer Jack Sharpe’s voice was faultless as was much of the performance. Whilst Sharpe took most of the focus the rest of the band’s enthusiasm was infectious and their interaction with the crowd appealed to their long serving fans and gained them a few more in the process. Rich in guitar riffs and bluesy influence, the Wolf boys 60’s psychedelic sound interspersed with some contemporary references made a refreshing change to the seemingly symmetric, factory produced music that pollutes the industry today. Wolf People’s nod to the past is the key to their future success.

The Besnard Lakes

The main event for the evening, The Besnard Lakes, were the furthest travellers to the little slice of heaven that is the Hare and Hounds. Hailing from Canada, they are the result of the collaboration of husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas. A combination of elements borrowed from differing musical facets form the foundations of the Lakes’ music, meaning that one can never attribute The Besnard Lakes to belonging to any particular persuasion of music. This added to their affinity for songs over the five minute mark, translates poorly into live performances, as the constant barrage of moody intro’s and reliance on technology leave the band exposed and the audience awkwardly shifting feet awaiting the beginning of the song. The heavy dependence on Lasek’s often shrill vocals was at times infuriating especially when you get glimpses of how talented this band can be with tracks like “Chicago Train”. Even this ray of light was plighted by an unnecessary flute intro that was out of sync and difficult to hear but saw Lasek return to a pitch that could be enjoyed and lacked the high pitch warbling that were evident in the rest of the performance.

The success of the evening lies firmly with Mr Bones and the Dreamers and most definitely with the Wolf People who are certain to have big things ahead. Perhaps I just didn’t get what The Besnard Lakes were trying to accomplish but everything about the performance, from Lasek’s shrill vocals and John Lennon styling seemed cliché and left me less than captivated. I look forward to seeing what Mr Bones and the Dreamers and Wolf People come up with in the future.