I’d heard magnificent things about a duo called FERRIS & SYLVESTER who seem to have the music industry midas touch at the moment. I sadly missed their last visit to Exeter where they graced The Cavern with their presence and performed a set that was good enough to go down as one of the finest that the venue had seen in a while. Nine months on since this show, they are back in Exeter, but this time, they’re performing in the main auditorium of The Phoenix, a venue that is literally a stone’s throw from The Cavern but capable of holding 500 people, something that sadly, The Cavern is not able to do and judging by the buzz the duo are creating at the moment, was a very well made decision!
It was refreshing to read about their influences, okay, there were the expected nods to the likes of The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan but there were also mentions of artists such as Ray LaMontagne, Nathaniel Rateliff and Iron & Wine, acts that, despite being very popular, often get overlooked by more ‘household name’ acts and artists such as Ed Sheeran and the like.
We caught up with the duo a couple of months back and chatted about the tour, I asked them how they felt about the February 2019 tour selling out and whether they had a favourite show from it, they responded;
If we had to pick a favourite, it would be The Cavern in Exeter, Archie’s home show. We could have played for hours, it was magical in there. We can’t wait to play The Phoenix in Exeter this October….
So I had high expectations from tonight’s show and I must say that I was NOT left disappointed!
Opening up the evening was Plymouth based singer songwriter JAMIE YOST, he was accompanied by FERGUS TANNER who leads his own band called Drakes Island and together, they delivered a well-rounded set consisting of some beautifully crafted indie folk songs.
Jamie provided vocals and acoustic guitar whilst Fergus overlaid atmospheric guitar over the top to complement the sound. I caught up with them after their set to chat about the future, after a busy summer, they're taking a bit of a breather and will be working on new material in the new year.
Following Jamie was Redruth based trio DISCO ROCOCO, formed via the Cornish art scene, this was apparent from the outset as I could hear elements of early New Wave acts such as Talking Heads and nods to 60's acts such as The Byrds and even hints of Californian Surf Rock, eclectic? very…..
Dressed in a light tan baggy suit accompanied with a cap and Deidre Barlow style spectacles, the frontman looked very much the part and made me want to delve into their varied sound even more. He was joined by keys and a stripped back drum kit which were both excellently presented by the respective players.
I caught up with them after the show and shared my thoughts on bands taking elements of acts through the ages and it's this approach that makes it so interesting for the audience. I'll be hosting an 'Introducing' piece on Disco Rococo in the near future, watch this space!
Taking to the stage to a huge cheer, Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester wasted no time in setting out their stall launching into an incredible version of “Better in Yellow”. I was blown away as to just how ‘Bluesy’ their sound was, whilst I was sort of familiar with them as a duo, I wasn’t prepared for the sound that blasted from the PA, it was dirty, it was raunchy and by the looks on the faces of everyone in the room, they were absolutely loving it!
Tracks such as ‘I Dare You’ saw Issy turn from a mild mannered bohemian influenced artist into a woman scorned, it might have been the last date fo the massive UK tour but she DID NOT hold back for one second, it was absolutely amazing to watch them at work.
For “Flying Visit”, Issy put down her bass guitar and joined Archie at the lip of the stage and accompanied with just a basic acoustic guitar, proceeded to deliver a faultless rendition of the track, sending shivers up and down the spine’s of everyone in attendance, it truly was a jaw dropping moment (and I don’t say that very often!)
Ending with ‘Sickness’ and a massive crescendo, they left the stage for a few moments, I was secretly wishing that they weren’t one of these acts that “don’t do encores'“, my prayers were answered a couple of minutes later as they took to the stage for one last time to deliver “This is How My Voice Sounds” which saw Issy alternate between vocals and keyboard whilst Archie did what he does best on guitar.
They ended the set with “London Blues'“ which really got the crowd moving and come the end of the song, everyone was on their feet making a whole lotta noise to show their love for this incredible band.
I caught up with Issy and Archie briefly after the performance and admitted that they had “blown my mind”, I asked them about the tour and they said that it had been “an amazing journey” and they were looking forward to getting out on the road again next year.
They hinted that after a few EP’s and digitally released tracks, they were planning on heading into the studio to cut their first long player, this was, pardon the pun, music to my ears!
I see a LOT of bands and I mean A LOT and it’s very rarely that one actually impresses me that much that I want to learn everything about them, ladies and gentlemen, this is EXACTLY what happened at the Exeter Phoenix tonight and I for one am excited about whatever the future brings for these two super talented, warm spirited and entertaining individuals.
Keep an eye on their social media and if you see them playing live near you, drop whatever plans you had and head down to catch their set, it won’t be long until they ditch the smaller, more intimate venues in favour of arenas. By the looks of things, this won’t take long, you’ve been warned!
To see ALL of the pics we took at the show, click HERE
Words and Picture by Steve Muscutt