Having risen
so high in such a relatively short space of time since the widespread acclaim
following the release of his debut Every
Kingdom early last month, Ben Howard may understandably feel that he has
something to prove. This goes some way to explain the somewhat formidable tour
schedule he has embarked on, featuring forty four shows across the UK and
Europe from Every Kingdom’s release
through to mid December, with more to follow in 2012. A sizable portion of these
dates have sold out, among them was Cafe Drummonds, and it is not an
exaggeration when I say that it was packed to the rafters for Ben’s gig. Fans
were stood on chairs lining the cosy venue’s walls trying to get a decent view,
while the intense collective body heat of the three hundred-odd gig-goers
reinforced the demand for the young, talented troubadour.
Ben had very
little problem winning over Aberdeen. After Lucy Rose’s delightful support set
had warmed up the crowd, Ben took to the stage to unanimous applause and
cheering. Without hesitation or the temptation to ease slowly into the set, Ben
threw himself into his performance from the beginning, half-singing half-barking
his songs with heartfelt intensity and playing with energetic fury. Ben’s cohesive
three piece live band – consisting of himself, Chris Bond on percussion and India
Bourne providing string instrumentation – delivered a raw and authentic
performance that suited Drummonds’ intimacy perfectly.
The set
fully exhibited the wide emotional variety of Ben’s growing songbook. Every Kingdom opening track Old Pine took on the quality of a
campfire song, while a frantic run through of The Fear filled the room with tension. Chris later stepped out from
behind the drum kit to take the double bass while India accompanied on violin
for a stripped back version of non-album track Empty Corridors. With percussion provided by Ben’s rhythmic guitar
slapping, the influences and echoes of John Martyn and Nick Drake rang out
clearly in Ben’s stark confessionals.
Meanwhile, on
the upbeat rocker Keep Your Head Up,
Ben’s optimistic vocals shared the same soul searching quality as that of Paul
Weller’s. After exchanging jovial banter with the crowd, Ben finished the set
on primal choral The Wolves. The
crowd matched Ben’s energetic calls strength for strength until the walls of
Drummonds resonated with contagious howls. After leaving, Ben shortly returned to
the stage for an encore and treated Aberdeen to a searing rendition of the
ragtime stomper Move Like You Want. Finally
taking a humble bow, Ben and co. left Cafe Drummonds triumphant. After
witnessing his talent and energy firsthand, I think it is safe to say that Ben
Howard has certainly proved himself worthy of the praise he has received, and
much more.
JM
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