Field Music @ Scala, March 3rd.
Posted by: nick
If you’ve heard Field Music‘s new album Field Music (Measure) then you’ll realise why we were so excited to check out Sunderland’s brothers Brewis and co live in London this week. It’s a phenomenally rewarding listen with more influences than you can shake a stick at. Prince and The Beatles side by side shouldn’t necessarily work but with a little bit of Northern magic and elbow grease it does just that.
Melody, versatility and good old fashioned workmanship are themes that are consistent throughout Field Music’s set tonight. Brothers Peter and David, both familiar with occupying the limelight on their lonesome for the past few years under their respective solo guises The Week That Was and School of Language, seem happy to be back in one another’s company. The pair swapping between drums, keys, guitar and lead vocals is a regular sight this evening. Aside from their bass players hotly debated offensive Hawaiian shirt, the odd Futureheads joke and a problematic monitor speaker there’s no messing about as the band lead us through a solid set of old meets new. Ok so there’s a little more messing about than they would have perhaps liked but they pull it off just fine.
As relatively recent converts it’s the new that we’ll dwell on. Appropriately then ‘Each Time Is A New Time’ is the first such track to stick out with it’s irresistible opening guitar riff, part Led Zepp, part Fleetwood Mac, entirely brilliant. Then comes one of our favourite tracks of the year so far, the superbly crafted and undeniably catchy ‘Them That Do Nothing’ which sees Peter taking his turn to step forward. ‘First Comes The Wish’ showcases fab four esque harmonies and a tight driving rhythmic backbone that’s inherent to the Field Music sound.
There are a number of shout outs on the night but we’re told by the band that they only take such requests when they fit perfectly into their set! Such is the devotion of some of these fans that it seems to happen on a couple of occasions tonight. So after another committed plea, Mr four rows back eventually gets to hear ‘Effortlessly’ which goes some way to describing the style of this band. In particular Peter doesn’t seem to shed a drop of sweat all night, like a Sunderland version of Roger Federer if you will!
Game, set, match.
