Van Eyken at Hendre Hall, Tal-y-bont, Bangor - 8/11/2006

A thin crowd were scattered around the edges of the impressive stone walled hall, a few warming themselves on at the large fireplace where a wood fire was crackling away nicely and one or two were buying drinks at the bar. The lights had been dimmed for some time, and then, without any introduction or pre-amble, a band appeared in the room and took to the large stage, already crammed with instruments tuned up, and began to play - actually there wasn't a clear boundary between the tuning up and playing because the first song Van Eyken played has an introduction of tortured electric guitar, clattering percussion and other eerie sounds with Tim Van Eyken picking out the tune on his acoustic guitar. Its not raucous, but it's not your standard folk intro! I can't verify this, but I suspect that the band might have had more instruments on the stage than there were people in the audience, such was the diversity of the "weaponry" available to them. The bass player alone had 3 different basses to play, and a euphonium.

The sound in Hendre Hall was great - clear and loud without being overburdening - it was a real shame that more people didn't make the effort to attend. The high roof and wooden gallery all add to the special atmosphere in the venue, which is staffed and run be friendly and helpful people who are obviously trying hard to make a real go of this venture. My only real criticism of the venue would be a lack of signage when you arrive - we ended up using the tradesmans' entrance - but this is a minor point really.

Van Eyken then brought the same 5 peice band that we saw earlier in the year at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, and they played a 2 part set consisting mostly of tracks from their current album: "Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves" It's a great line up too - Tim Van Eyken plays acoustic guitar and several concertinas as well as having a really strong a distinctive voice that is a pleasure to listen to. Tim shares the front of the stage with the near legendary Nancy Kerr, top viola player and vocalist in her own right (and probably the only member to stick to the one instrument too - which at least made it easier for her later when packing up!) Behind them, Colin Fletcher on upright, acoustic and electric basses and euphonium, Pete Flood on percussion - loads of it - and Oliver Knight on electric guitars.

The band have a very distinctive sound - or perhaps I should say a range of sounds, because it's a very flexible outfit. Whether Tim plays one of his various boxes or guitar, or just sings, or which bass is used, and whether the viola is used or not - there are many combinations available. One particularly marked aspect of their sound though is the use of the electric guitar, often enhanced by various effects, but virtually always used subtley rather than as a sledgehammer, and providing a layer of sound onto which the rest of the band can hang the tune. This is used to great effect in "Bold Fisherman" where an simple phrase played with an echo effect underpins the entire song.

In truth you could say that Van Eyken is very much a band of individuals, each of which could be singled out here, but it would be wrong not to mention the fantastic percussion that is used throughout the performance. Watching Flood play is a real treat - he has a small drum kit but it is surrounded by a vast array of instruments, toys and household items, all of which can be either banged, shaken, rubbed or, well just plain dropped - to give that precise sound that is required, and I'm sure I witnessed the cymbals being hit by pan lids at one stage. This is no playtime melange though, it's, well thought out and expertly performed, witness to the piercing and eerie use of bowed cymbals also used throughout "Bold Fisherman", along with the ultra subtle tapping of a bodrhan with just fingers in the same song. I could go on to mention Nancy Kerr holding the viola like a guitar and plucking the strings, the first use I have seen of a semi-acoustic bass on stage, the euphonium, the wind up toy, but I'm sure you're getting the drift by now!

By the time the band marched off the stage - still playing - leaving us banging away at the various bits of percussion that had been handed out, we were in little doubt that out conundrum over which of some half a dozen events we should attend on November 18th had been settles - Van Eyken at Whitchurch - we'll be there!

=Playlist=

Worcester City
William at Waterloo
The Pearl Wedding/Nancy Taylor's
Fisherman
Pretty Bessy Milkmaid
Gypsy Maid
Barleycorn

=Interval=

? Glory
Young Alvin
Australia
Pie (Fair Ellen of Ratcliffe)
The Taylor and the Flea
Bonny Breast Knot/Barseback Polka
Babes in the Wood

=Encore=

Twelve Joys of Mary