Album Review: Demon Barbers - The Adventures of Captain Ward (Self Release)

Just when it seemed the world was bereft of a super hero, along comes the formidable Captain Ward, the swashbuckling pirate extraordinaire, as created by Tony Hall for the cover of the third full length Demon Barbers album THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN WARD. The cover, reminiscent of the Mothers of Invention's memorable Weasels Ripped My Flesh LP sleeve, has all five members of the core band featured in cartoon form on the inner sleeve, being marched overboard via 'the plank' by either Damien Barber himself or by his intimidating English concertina. It's a fun start to a thoroughly engaging record.

By Damien Barber's own admission, recreating any band's live set in a studio environment is always difficult to say the least, but the general intention to capture some of the spirit of the Demon Barbers' live set is definitely present on this new record. This is probably the closest the band are likely to get to that specific sound, a sound and spectacle that in no small way contributed towards the band's success at last years BBC Folk Awards, when they came away with the Best Live Act award. No one seriously expects the same experience when listening to a new Demon Barbers CD to that of feeling the stage reverberate to the stomp of Dogrose Morris, or the clatter of swords and the vibrant display of clog dancing and colour; so it's with the song selections, the performances and the production we concentrate upon here.

Peter Bellamy is the source for the title song Captain Ward, which opens the album with a pulsating off beat electric bass and some intoxicating fiddle/melodeon interplay, suitably forming the basis for Damien Barber's authoritative storytelling. The core band of Damien Barber on guitar and English concertina, Bryony Griffith on fiddle, hubby Will Hampson on melodeon, Lee Sykes on bass and Ben Griffith on drums is augmented by contributions from the extended team of cloggers Hannah James, Tiny Taylor and Laura Connolly, with additional vocals from Fiona Taylor as well as some beatbox pyrotechnics courtesy of John (JB) Stuckey.

Bryony Griffith's version of The Bonny Labouring Boy (Bonny Boy), borrowed from Frank Purslow's Marrowbones, is one of the highlights on this album, with a fine assured vocal performance and building rhythm from the rest of the band. Bryony's distinctive vocal can also be heard on The Magpie, a retelling of the old children's nursery rhyme and the live show-stopper Soul Cake, which here incorporates some of the less visual beatbox shenanigans of JB. The beatbox is no better utilisedby than during Calling on Song, which also incorporates the percussive sound of clog dancing, together with Bryony's rich and intuitive fiddle playing.  

Ed Pickford's Pound a Week Rise, memorably recorded by Dick Gaughan in 1986, sees the Demon Barbers entering political territory, with Damien Barber's convincingly authoritative vocal carrying the song to the end. Three Drunken Maids on the other hand shows a more fun loving side to the band. With an almost 'punk anthem' attitude mixed with a Ska flavour, this old traditional romp of a song, sounds for all intents and purposes like a report on any bog-standard Saturday night out in Donny (where the album was coincidentally recorded).  

The instrumental pieces on the album, Munchen Fest, Harry's Hornpipe and Kiss Me Quick My Mammy's Coming/The Queen of Sluts, measure up to the songs equally as they demonstrate inventiveness and flair in each case, from Will Hampson's Munich Oktoberfest inspired knees up to Bryony's jazz inflected set of hornpipes. 

The Grateful Dead's outlaw song Friend of the Devil from the band's seminal American Beauty album makes an unexpected appearance here. Citing Chris Smither as the source of this version of the song, the band create a completely different feel good sound, which works equally well on record and in live performance.

Completing the thirteen selections on the album is the traditional Three Ravens learned from the singing of Sheffield-based singer Fay Hield, no stranger to both Damien Barber and Bryony Griffith, both who have worked with the singer in highly regarded combos over the years such as the much missed Witches of Elswick.

Satisfying their audience's appetites temporarily in 2008 with the stop gap release of the mini-album +24db, CAPTAIN WARD has been a long time in coming but finally serves to prove that the Demon Barbers are now a force to be reckoned with both on stage and now in the studio.  

Allan Wilkinson

Northern Sky