Spring has well and truly sprung, and it was time to jump aboard the good ship Thekla in Bristol and be thoroughly serenaded by the Kent troubadour and storyteller Will Varley. We really were in for a treat.
First up was American singer-songwriter Stephen Kellogg, primarily known for his work in folk rock and 'Americana' music (not so much his cornflakes). His style blends elements of storytelling, introspective lyrics, and acoustic-driven sound. A perfect foil for Will Varley with his personal songs about family life and meandering stories about his four daughters and the joys of peddling merch. He had a wonderful voice and the folk who arrived early were treated to some beautiful songs. Stephen even tried to call his wife to wish her a happy anniversary during the show and "although she is home with our four daughters", no one picked up! The short set flew by too fast and Stephen left the stage to a rousing response from Bristol.
As anticipation grew, Thekla filled up, as full as I have ever seen it, ready for the Kent singer-songwriter. Unlike many of his previous tours (and albums), Will has employed a full band set up (The Southern Rust) for this Spring tour and they will feature on his May 30th new album release, 'Machines Will Never Learn to Make Mistakes Like Me". The band take to the stage ahead of Will with an instrumental intro of 'Send My Love to the System' before they are joined by Mr Varley to a rapturous welcome to continue the song. "We Don't Believe you" followed with it’s rousing chorus, inviting plenty of crowd participation.
The setlist was very heavy with new material from the soon to be released album, 'Different Man', 'Home Before the World Ends' and 'Only Louise' with the beautiful older number 'Until the Grass Gets Greener' nestled between them. Mid-set, the band took a well earned rest as Will played a couple of songs solo. 'As For My Soul' kicked things off and after aborting the next song after forgetting the words….and the chords, the request from the crowd for "the one about the talking cat" was greeted with a smile and agreement. 'Talking Cat Blues' got a modern, topical makeover much to the enjoyment of the full house.
The band were welcomed back as they launched into the title track for the new album, even more ironic in light of the recent forgetful behaviour. 'Seven Days', a real favourite of mine, was delivered alongside new songs; 'Everything has a Heartbeat' and 'Long Way Back Now' with Will's voice just resonating around the room. Since his last album, Will has had problems with his voice, requiring an operation and a prolonged period of rest. It must have been an anxious time and incredibly frustrating. The new material seems to have pushed Will to a new level, his voice sounded amazing and the band add another dimension, a real depth to the songs. They bring something more to his older material as well. This was more than just a backing band, they were really accomplished musicians adding another dimension to Will's tunes, subtle atmospheric backing through to shredding guitar solos. Really wonderful.
'King for a King', played solo, kicked off the encore as the band rejoined Will for 'Seize the Night' and the beautiful 'Postman' from the 2018 Spirit of Minnie album closing the night as Will left the stage for the band to complete the outro.
Will Varley needs to be playing bigger stages. His talent, his beautiful songs, his wonderful storytelling all deserve a wider audience. If tonight was anything to go by (and the few singles he has released) his new album is going to be his best yet and can hopefully provide that springboard to the next level. Head over to https://www.musicglue.com/will-varley/ and pre order a copy now.
Words and Pictures by Glenn Morrison
