Music / Review
Review: Three Cane Whale, Friendly Records – ‘This is all decidedly ego free’
You could hear a pin drop. Chamber folk trio Three Cane Whale are half way through their set. It’s a packed, sold-out Friendly Records. Hardly room for their wide array of instruments with the audience so inched forward towards the players.
It is their most gentle, intimate music. Their audience leans in to listen intently as the musicians lead the hushed dance between their instruments. Talented players and their listeners all together in the collective experience of organic live music. How wonderful.
Many will have stumbled across Three Cane Whale before. Locally based with members from other local legends Spiro, Get the Blessing, et al. Tonight they will reach for harmoniums, upside down guitars, mandolins, lyra harps, zithers and a whole bunch of others in order to do their thing.
is needed now More than ever
Horn player Pete Judge does most of the amiable chat. Paul Bradley and Alex Vann strum away on their various toys and join in the fun. Things can break down to hilarity quite quickly when someone musically stumbles. This is all decidedly ego free.
The most obvious soundalikes are Penguin Café, and maybe the short instrumental bits between songs on Robert Wyatt LPs. When the strings are to the fore, a reminder of the very English Anthony Phillips. This is folk music, rooted in place, with lots of song titles taken from local South West beauty spots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CHpQGOk9Fg
There are tunes inspired by the life of bats. The gentle Ruby and Elsie is based on the fearful daughters of an overbearing Victorian father who survived a jump off the suspension bridge thanks to their billowing dresses.
The set is mostly made up of little triptychs of music, drawn from across their albums with the occasional newie road tested. Everything is quite short. Nothing outstays it’s welcome.
They take it in turns to take the lead but the musical baton is passed as the tunes weave and flow layering alongside each other. The accompaniment is always understated and thoughtful.
There are the occasional shortish episodes of a solo instrument. The woman sitting next to me says they are mesmeric. She is absolutely right.
This is quiet and reflective music with heaps of joy and playfulness but with enough dirt under its fingernails to make sure it doesn’t lose its folky origins.
At the end the musicians clap the attentive audience as much as we show our appreciation to them. It’s a collective listening and playing thing you see. That’s what makes the real magic and there was plenty of that tonight.
Main photo: Jon Riley
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- Review: Joanna MacGregor, St. George’s – ‘An extraordinary evening from one of our most restless musical voices’
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