You are hereDemon Barbers Album Launch at The Boardwalk, Sheffield
Demon Barbers Album Launch at The Boardwalk, Sheffield
With an all round generous spirit of community, together with a swashbuckling adventures-on-the-high-seas pirate theme, lashings of rum and ginger cake was served up by the Demon Barbers nymphets Tiny, Fiona and Laura just prior to the launch of the Band's third full length album THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN WARD at the Boardwalk in Sheffield tonight. A noisy gathering had congregated at the venue for this the first of two launches, the second one to be held twenty-four hours later at the Borderline in London, essentially bringing Captain Ward to both North and South audiences alike over a couple of days.
With the ever smiling Rosie at the concessions table, a table literally piled with copies of the new album, quite a few of which were generously given out as prizes to those who provided the best chorus singing of 'Devil, Devil, I defy thee' for instance, or being the most 'super-hero-esque', or a multitude of prizes for doing anything silly during Three Drunken Maids, including just standing up, the fun element was lost on no one and pretty soon prizes were awarded to the best 'Oy-er' and 'skanking Ska dancer' available.
The band comprising at its core, Damien Barber on guitar and English concertina, Bryony Griffith on fiddle, Will Hampson on melodeon, Lee Sykes on bass and Ben Griffith on drums, soon settled into their set after a couple of familiar opening songs from their established repertoire, the driving Good Old Days followed by Ballad of Minepit Shaw, both taking up their usual place in the set, the latter introducing Tiny Taylor and Laura Connolly who provided some dazzling clogging. Having become swiftly accustomed to the setting, the band were ready to formally introduce some of the new songs from the new album, the first being The Magpie, derived from the old children's rhyme, reminding us of the dark undertones present in most well known nursery rhymes.
The title song from the new album comes from the singing of the late Peter Bellamy, the man who actually Christened Damien Barber, the 'Demon Barber'. Captain Ward has all the hallmarks of a super hero theme song, albeit with a distinct Ska rhythm, which Tony Hall has captured superbly with his eye-catching sleeve design.
Bryony Griffith's adaptation of two traditional Earsdon calling on songs, collectively entitled Calling On Song for convenience sake, featured some impressive beatbox and clog sparring, courtesy of John (JB) Stuckey with Tiny and Laura, marrying the contemporary with the traditional to great percussive effect. Likewise, Soul Cake provides JB the opportunity to demonstrate some theatrical beatbox, which includes 'whacking' the rest of the band Star Wars like; Will Hampson also demonstrated some good tips on how to use a melodeon as a self defense tool.
Bryony has the vocal power of a young Norma Waterson, the poise and attitude of the late Sandy Denny and the stage presence of Janis Joplin. There's nothing contrived about her singing and the songs are all the more believable for it. Bonny Boy, derived from The Bonny Labouring Boy, is one of the standout songs from the new album and live set, with its pulsating build towards the final climax.
Three Drunken Maids is probably the most fun song the Demon Barbers do, despite some inexplicable recent criticism from the folk police. Pretty faithful to the version once heard by Simon Nicol and Dave Swarbrick with a few additional crowd pleasing 'oys', the performance saw the one and only time the entire audience got to its feet.
A mention should be made to the unsung hero of the Demon Barbers team, Andy, whose unenviable task of making an acoustic trio, an electric rhythm section, six feet carefully mic'd at the ankle and a manic beatboxer unite sonically, without a single second of feedback problems, is admirable.
Towards the end, the full Demon Barbers cast assembled for an energetic version of Friend of the Devil, a Grateful Dead original learned in this case from the singing of New Orleans guitarist Chris Smither. Bearing in mind the generous offering of rum and cake, together with the spree of CD prizes and two outstanding sets of music, dance and fun, it should be noted that all proceeds raised will be going to the African Workshops charity, which in turn goes towards helping kids in Mali, providing them with something we probably take for granted, the availability of good art and music in their communities.
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