Ben Folds / Rachel Unthank and the Winterset

More often than not a Ben Folds show is like a lottery as far as support acts go. To say, however, that one had seen a grown man curse and swear like a trooper whilst battering rock from a hundred grand piano and to have seen live clog dancing in one night, on the same stage, is something that few men will ever see, and fewer may admit to.

Rachel Unthank and the Winterset are an all girl folk four piece hailing from Northumbria who have received much critical acclaim from British press and are gaining exposure to a less beard-y, but no less bespectacled audience in The Shepherds Bush Empire. Singing a collection of piano-led, ghostly folk, the sister duo of Rachel and Becky Unthank are an amiable pair, engaging the audience with their northern charm and charming balladry, though after the first track the girls seem to lose the standing audience and the beautifully suspended melodies drown amidst beer fuelled chatter. Not to be diminished, Unthank and company slowly catch the audience's attention and eventually seduce the audience with their aura, rounding off their set with some very well received clog dancing. I can't believe I just wrote that.

Before Mr Folds graces the stage, a meditative vocal drone comes over the P.A. and the five piece band (who are not Ben Folds Five, of which there were three) enter to massive applause. Starting with new track 'Effington' from new album 'Way to Normal', Folds forgets the lyrics to the second verse, stating under a still booming applause, "That sucked" in an apologetic manner after singing the first verse twice and singing about singing the first verse twice.

It is strange, though, that the crowd are static and stationary throughout this and other new number 'Brainwascht' as well as 'Bitch Went Nutz', the latter being from Folds' 'Doublin' e.p. an unofficial release and faked net leak of 'Way to Normal', which Folds explains that some prefer to the released album.

It is not until the more familiar 'Annie Waits' that this London crowd shed a little of their cool exteriors and begin to loosen up. We are treated to a musical experiment as Folds plays, back to back, two entirely versions of a song called 'Dr Yang', one from the aforementioned fake leak and the other from the album proper. It is a testament to his humour, talent and stage poise to be able to take this particular audience on this journey through a very self aware mind.

The crowd remain indifferent during the songs themselves but clap like they are wearing lead hats when they are over, at least Jamie Cullum looked like he was enjoying his lesson in rock. Taking most of the material from his sans Ben Folds Five era, the set is varied and energetic, as rhythm section Sam Smith (drums) and Jared Reynolds (bass) form a tight and intuitive backbone of a sound finally reaching it's mature and more experimental stage.

This 'experimental' edge is best exemplified in 'Way To Normal's 'Free Coffee', a track that, (like the album itself) has been subject to mixed reviews. On this night, with Smith beating the snare like it stole his girl, and Reynolds accentuating and annotating the beat with waves of distorted feedback and chunkier than jerky root notes, whilst Folds adds the harmony and extra percussion through his prepared and distorted piano, it's clear that evolution is a necessity and and eventuality for the industries best known secret. Moreover, the modern pop tinged, M Audio laced, 'You Don't Know Me' features a guest performance from Holly Partridge from Swindon three piece 'The She Beats', providing Regina Spektor's part centre stage, showcases his dedication to unearthing acts and providing the stage thereon to ply their craft.

With a short solo set stirring some tender moments such as 'Fred Jones Part 2' and crowd favourite 'Emaline', the emotional range of a Folds show is as wide and varied as an afternoon with Stephen Fry. Stretching from downright comedy to tear duct emptying subtlety is a feat no act from this decade has yet mastered to such a degree, and doubtfully ever will. When the full band rejoin for the album version of 'The Bitch Went Nuts', one can only assume that either the beer is working or the set is heart rending, for the crowd do begin to set themselves in motion.

They are positively ecstatic for crowd pleaser 'Zak and Sara' and are loose enough to participate in 'Army's automated crowd trombone and saxophone section. Digging further into his punk past, 'Philosophy', shakes the slate from the roof, whereas 'Frowne Song' (another 'fake' album track) sees a member of Folds' crew don an inverted smiley mask, while 'Tambo Man' sits in at the piano so Folds can roam the stage (and the pit) in a rare high five session with the cramped front row.

After a brief interlude, Folds stresses that curfew is upon them and proceeds to rattle through 'One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces' like it's on high speed dubbing (ah, remember high speed dubbing?) not, however, sang like Mickey Mouse does Clubland, thankfully. After overcoming a crowd that bled malaise, Ben Folds sends his audience home in his usual fashion - speaking words of admiration, jealousy, mock hatred, wonderment and reverence in one big ambivalent emotional melting pot like only he can.

Set List:
Effington
Brainwascht
Bitch Went Nutz
Annie Waits
Hiroshima
Dr Yang (Lovesick Diagnostician)
Dr Yang
Cologne
Kylie From Connecticut
Free Coffee
You To Thank
You Don't Know Me
Landed
Fred Jones Part 2
Lullabye
Emaline
Bitch Went Nuts
Zak And Sara
Fair
Jesusland
Army
Still Fighting It
Philosophy
Not the Same
Frowne Song (Feeble Anthem)
One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.