The Barr Brothers

We don't often see the Barr Brothers on these shores - the last time I saw them was in 2018 at the Union Chapel, as a full band, kicking up a rumpus with their Queens Of The Breakers album. This time out, at Omeara, its just Andrew on drums and Brad on guitar (apologies, I didn't catch the name of the lady adding colour with her backing vocals ). The gig started with a hushed acapella gathering around a single mic' and was followed by an extraordinary sou ding piece where Andrew wrapped a guitar string around one on Brad's six string and created a bowing effect; a little like that of an E-bow...if any of you remember one of those! Andrew's drumming was superb, going from precise but high sounding, to extreme daftness and subtlety, to underpin Bsad's excellent vocals. Brad's voice, to my ears, sounds like a mix of Paul Simon reediness and Daniel Lanois' smoky tones, and I've suggested in the past that I'd love to hear Dan and the boys cook something up together - being fellow Canadians? Anyway, we got some old tunes and some new, all rendered in such a way as to keep the audience in the small venue in rapt attention; there weren't even many chatterers!!! The sound was absolutely immaculate, and I gave a nod to the sound guys as I left, they truly added to the music on the night. If you read Wiki, or any other describer of the band's sound, it might say "folk", but that's lazy nonsense if truth be told, as they also play some filthy rock stuff too, often built around some heavily effected electric 12-string...a great sound. There's a new album coming, which I can't wait to hear, and I hope it's not another seven years before I see them play again. Support was from Memorial, who were my favourite discovery of 2024, and a chatwith them revealed they're writing new stuff, and gigging on occasion, so check them out! Omeara is a great venue, good sound as I said, a nice little bar (£7 for a tin of Beavertown), and really friendly staff.