Image Collette Johnson©
My wife (Collette) is a music obsessive and an avid gig-goer. She often plays stuff that I’m not familiar with. Recently, she played a number of tracks from yet another band that was previously unknown to me. She asked me if I liked the sound. I told her that I did , in particular, the singer’s voice, as it reminded me of Conor Oberst ( Bright Eyes) and Conor Deasy (The Thrills). She was pleased, as she then revealed we were off to see them, as a slightly early wedding anniversary treat. So, off we went, to Bristol, to see ‘Villagers’ play live.
This was my first gig in Bristol for a good number of years and the venue was one I’d never been to before. The ‘Marble Factory’ is somewhat unusually based on an industrial estate, about 20 minutes’ walk from the city centre. It is a quirky venue that somehow fits in well with the somewhat bohemian vibe of Bristol. With a capacity of 1600 people, its closest comparative Cardiff venue would probably be the ‘Tramshed’. It has a similar cosy feel, allowing for an intimate gig experience.
Led by the fascinatingly enigmatic and diminutive Conor O'Brien, fellow ‘Villagers’
(Danny Snow, Cormac Curran, Gwion Llewelyn and Mali Llewelyn) strolled on to stage at 8:30 pm, to be warmly welcomed by a healthy turnout of eagerly expectant Bristolians. It was to be a sublime performance…
Image Collette Johnson©
From the off, I was struck by the ability of Conor O’Brien to evoke emotional responses from those present. He has a captivating and compelling stage presence and his well-honed stagecraft pulls you into his world. He plays what appears to a three quarter size, gut-string guitar and has a fragile, fairly high vocal range. The beauty of this is that you need to listen fairly closely to what is going on, evoking a delightful intimacy and emotional connection.
Twice Mercury-nominated, ‘Villagers’ are fine musicians and deliver the well-crafted songs with aplomb. There is a real sense of light and shade to the set with plenty of dynamics and changes in mood. Perhaps the most dramatic moments were when Conor O’Brien occasionally shifted from acoustic guitar to trumpet. The audience reaction was truly a joy to behold!
It was during ‘A trick of the light’ that I first noticed just how captivated and mesmerised the audience actually were, silently mouthing the lyrics and slowly grooving along, in unison. Up until the final song in the set, every song had been fairly mellow and acoustic guitar based. That all changed dramatically with the powerful ‘Circles in the firing line’. For the only time all night, O’Brien turned to his Telecaster, to, out of nowhere, play a manic, visceral electric guitar solo. It was a stunning and powerful change of mood, a hugely effective climax, as the band left the stage.
Image Collette Johnson©
Clearly an encore was inevitable and they duly re-emerged to play ‘My Lighthouse’ and the beautiful ‘Courage’ before ending the night with the anthemic and moving ‘Nothing Arrived’. What a pleasure it was to bask in the sound of an enthralled and delighted audience singing ‘I guess I was busy’, repeatedly, as directed by Conor O’Brien.
Thank you, Collette. It was an unforgettable gig and ‘Villagers’ are a wonderful live act.
Gig reviewed by Steve Johnson