Review: Talisk, St George’s Bristol – ‘This is not your average Folk gig; Talisk are not your average Folk band’

A voice came over the tannoy in the bar; “ladies and gentleman, please be aware that there will be flashing lights and smoke effects this evening”. Eh? This might not be your regular Folk gig then.

Maybe you’ve seen a band with a fiddle, guitar and concertina before. Maybe you think that you know what you’ll get – Trad songs, a finger in the ear, maybe a sea shanty or two. You might need to think again. Unless you’ve seen Talisk before you have no idea what you’re about to experience when you see this band live. They are a life affirming, blood pumping, heart filling, glorious beast.

Half way through the first song most of the audience are on their feet. The concertina player is headbanging and strobes are going off like searchlights. This is not your average Folk gig. Talisk are not your average Folk band.

If lots of their tunes do the same sort of slow-quick-quicker-quickest thing then, in all honesty, not one person in this audience cares. Everyone’s too busy dancing, laughing, whooping for joy. Everyone’s too busy waiting for the drop. Each song builds and builds, guitar layered on fiddle, fiddle layered on concertina. Each starts slowly. Within two minutes there’s utter mayhem. Every single time.

Mohsen Amini is, very simply, the most extraordinary musician that many of us will ever see. He’s the Steve Vai of the concertina. Except, of course, that he’s not because Moshen plays with heart and soul, he plays with a massive grin and a huge heart. He’s not just a technician he’s a hyperactive, clap-along inducing, excitement generator. The greatest Folk front man around.

It’s not just him though. New fiddle player Benedict Morris has clearly sold his soul to the devil. It’s the only explanation for someone that can play with such dexterity, such style and still keep up with Moshen’s ridiculous, delirious pace.

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The pace drops half way through the first set – “for health and safety reasons” – for The Hills. Morris’ fiddle is front and centre for half of the song; it’s beautiful, a gorgeous tune, almost classical in construction until…it just all kicks right off. They can’t hold it back, it’s like trying to cram a 20 stone bloke into an extra small suit. Seams rip all over the place. This is traditional Scots Folk with a massive, turbo charged rock n roll engine strapped to it.

Lava, taken from the latest album Dawn, is described by Amini as “a banger” and it’s just that. Lights whirl from the stage, the concertina is yanked to its maximum, the fiddle and Graeme Armstrong’s lightning fast, wonderfully intricate guitar charge forward until the whole of St George’s are on their feet.

By the end of the night there are little old ladies dancing in the aisles, hippies twirling, a guy Bez-dancing down the front, there are feet stomping, hair flailing, people bouncing, and bouncing, and bouncing.

Strobes and a smoke machine were the very least of it. Talisk gave us fireworks.

Main photo: Gavin McNamara

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