It’s a bit of a strange venue as I roll up on a cold and wet Saturday night to a location you are more likely to take your granny for a nice Sunday lunch than watch live bands. But that said, its a really nice setup, a nice bar and a lovely big room. Above all, its a sell out and that says so much about the real value of these grassroots gigs.
First up was JOE WHELDON, a talented singer songwriter who seemed to cover just about every genre of music in his short set. He had such a strong voice and got a great reception from the growing crowd who turned up early.
GAZ BROOKFIELD took the small stage and, after noting the fact that while this wasn't actually a village hall (but near enough!), he launched into a set of fan faves and deep cuts. The crowd had swelled to capacity at this point and the ‘Gaz’ T-shirt's were everywhere, the 'Land Pirates' had arrived.
You can't miss the historic influence in his brand of folk and above everything, you can feel the heart in every track. What shines through is the humour throughout the music and the between song banter (which is worth the ticket price alone!) The heckling at the start was noticeably....positive, leaving Gaz, stuck for a response in this unfamiliar territory and just having to laugh at his good fortune.
As the new and old tunes kept flowing, we got the historical stories such as 'The Tale of Gunner Haines' and 'Arborglyph', the self depreciating humour of "I've Paid my Money" and "Solo Acoustic Guy" and the more heartfelt "Be the Bigger Man" and "Hook Village Hall". The fully acoustic version of deep cut "Cornish Fishing Town" on a Merlin Dulcimer guitar not only brought a hush to the audience at first, but really got the sing song going as it reached a crescendo.
And just as the crowd filled the front of the stage and we were all properly warmed up, it drew to a close. No encore "look, they are a bit stupid and if I go off, I have nowhere to go" so he just finished the last 3 songs straight off the bat. And of course "Land Pirates Life" brought the house down. Then just enough time to dash to the merch table at the back to sell some wares before we all disappeared into the very un-spring-like night.
By his own admission, Gaz is a complete history nerd and he brings that knowledge and passion to life in his songs in an engaging and lively way. The little stories of Time Team, maps and why Fisherman’s Friends didn't want to sing on his song, draw you in and bring life to the songs. A wonderful night in the presence of a lovely storyteller.
Words and Pictures Glenn Morrison