The billing may not have had The Strumbellas headlining this evening but riding an ever-growing wave of appreciation they shone as beloved hometown favourites with their middle-of-three set. The joy that the six of them bring to playing their instruments is infectious and causes people not just to tap their foot along but to stomp it vigorously! Lead singer, Simon Ward, mentioned something about attracting the younger audience by dressing for them which seemed to have meant glasses with flippable lenses and after a song or two stripping down to just a small vest over his bare chest. This was just one of his many outlandish proclamations which were somewhat tempered by Isabel Ritchie's more humble remarks into the mic when she wasn't madly fiddling (she's the violinist). As in shows previous many of the members were barefoot on stage which seems to further enable the jovial dancing that they seem to partake in all over the stage. As mentioned, this extended into the audience in one of the better Horseshoe responses I have seen in quite some time. In fact the reaction was so strong that following their all-too-short set the persistence of the chanting despite the house music and lights prompted them to return for an unprecedented second-set encore. New material from them is an exciting prospect, especially based on the strength of the brand new song they debuted, Home Sweet Home. With more material they could have played their time over all again and there wouldn't have been a complaint from anybody.
Tom Fun Orchestra
It has been a long while since much word out of the Tom Fun camp but here the purveyors of kitchen party merriment were, in support of their to-be-released Earthworm Heart. Lead by the gruff voiced Ian MacDougall (hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as Tom Fun) the seven of them packed the stage with accordion, trumpet, banjo, acoustic, electric, bass and drums. Naturally playing primarily new material, there was no Rum & Tequila, the reaction wasn't as immediate as it may have been with known older material but the band did their best to keep the energy levels high anyhow. One song had an instrumental breakdown through which the trumpet was dragged up and down the electric guitar's strings. Akin to the Strumbellas before them the members could be seen traipsing around the stage interacting with each other throughout, keeping it fresh. Another tune seemed to sample all sorts of things including Queen and even 'Ok, Blue Jays' - odd but fun nonetheless. It was altogether enjoyable and despite already playing a half-encore ("this is our last song", slight pause, "okay we'll play another") they too were cheered on to actually return to the stage for another number following an extended, music-on delay again. Worth it.
Olenka Krakus
It must be the off-season for Olenka Krakus' band, The Autumn Lovers, as she took to the stage with just her acoustic guitar as the first opener of the evening. Seeming quite collected to be so naked in a large and mostly empty room she engaged the audience with her well-spoken banter. This also translated to her songwriting. Not only were the words appreciated but her singing voice that carried them also had its strength. The character of the songs varied, as some had a noticeable twang to accompany that in the guitar and others had an indie folk feel (that may have been better fleshed out with the band) and even a couple quieter acoustic, singer-songwriter numbers. A wonderfully stripped down version of The Boss' I'm On Fire added to this variance, as did the harmonica accompaniment on Flash in the Pan. Olenka had done very well with her simple set in this large room and following the closing notes of Only Yours she thanked us again as we showed our appreciation for an effective opening set.
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