9:30am Monday 15th March 2010
FOLK-POP duo Turin Brakes performed to an appreciative crowd at The Duchess last night, even singing without microphones at one point.
Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian were playing the fifth leg of their UK tour, having just released their new album, Outbursts.
Taking the stage to a good ovation the band opened their set with the lively Sea Change, from the new release, and followed it with a mixture of mellow, soul searching acoustic and upbeat folk-pop.
Their unique non-amplified moment came towards the end of their 90-minute set, when they performed Rocket Song. The two singers, plus members of their support band, crowded to the front of the stage and sang without the aid of microphones, which brought guilt to those who had slipped into conversation and was a surprise offering in their set.
Painkiller (Summer Rain), the band’s one brief flirtation with commercial chart success, when it peaked at number five back in 2003 was easily their most accessible effort, along with their first single, Underdog (Save Me), a cleverly written, catchy number, easily the best received song of the night.
Their performance made for an enjoyably, chilled Sunday night out and it is easy to see why they are mainstays in the British folk-pop scene.
Turin Brakes were ably supported by soloist Pete Lawrie, who did his job well and they will carry on touring the UK for the rest of March, before playing 12 dates on the continent next month.
Review by Jonathan Rudd
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