Out and About With….Smoke Fairies

Gig Review

Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

9th February 2022

It’s safe to say that the live music scene is slowly getting back to its feet. While some touring bands are still being cautious, local events are gathering confidence and a sense of normality is filling venues up and down the country. Up till now local gigs with bands from in and around Birmingham have been my bread and butter for these reviews. However, this time I had my first opportunity to review a touring band on the Birmingham leg of their tour. At this point I’d like to say a big thank you to Sonic PR for the opportunity to cove this gig. Right, enough context, lets get into the evening at hand.

Venue wise, The Castle & Falcon is one of the more larger venues in Birmingham. Its cosy bar area gives a really welcoming atmosphere and is the perfect holding area before you head into the venue proper at the back of the building. I’d been there several times before but for much larger events so it was nice to arrive at the venue while it played host to a typical band on tour. Gathering a drink I made my way into the back and took up a portion per the front, not before scouting the mercy tables and making note of several things for later purchase (spoiler, I did buy two albums).

First to take the stage were Samana. Like a lot of acts that I’ve ventured out to see, Samana were a band I’d not heard much of before. All I knew was they combined a dream like folk with an ethereal minimalism, think bands like My Morning Jacket and First Aid Kit. In some ways I like going into a gig not really knowing the act as I feel that way you are truly introduced to who and what the band are. So as they walked on stage and gathered themselves to begin I felt a rush of anticipation and hoped that I was in for a treat. I was not disappointed.

From the moment the first note was picked to the final fade at the end of the set Samana managed to bewitch everyone in the audience with their flowing and ethereal sound. Each song broke against the crowd like a gentle wave and swept you up in its wake. I swear there were moments when songs ended and I felt as though for a brief moment I’d been somewhere else. Everything was delivered with a calm composure and a confident grace that etched itself into the core of each song performed. By the time they had reached their final song of the set I couldn’t believe that as much time had passed as it had. With all good things however, Samana’s set came to an end lifting the veil that had entranced the audience.

Literally within seconds of them exiting the stage and audience migrated towards the bar, I headed straight to the perch table and got myself an exclusive advanced copy of Samana’s up coming new album (dropping 11th March) ‘All One Breathe’. Vinyl in the bag and a fresh drink in hand it was time to take up positions for the main event. 

From the moment the intro music began the audience erupted in cheers and applause as Smoke Fairies entered the stage and took up positions beneath the lights. Without a word the band struck up into their first three numbers and almost immediately recaptured that sense of being transported to another world through their music. While Samana was more on a dream scape quality, Smoke Fairies embraced a folk blues element that brought to mind a rustic forest full of wonders. I know what your thinking the ‘Fairies’ in the bands name may have influenced my imagination, but honestly as they played there was just something that evoked this sort of imagery.

After the third song Katherine & Jessica broke from the music and said hello t the audience. Now it may seem a bit weird to say it like that, but that is literally what happened. In the most casual and comfortable way possible they simply asked “How are you all doing? Its so good to see you all again.” This simple exchange had the effect of to shrink the room from feeling like a venue for a few hundred to feeling as though you were part of an intimate environment that we were all a part of. This deep connection with the audience continued as the set moved forwards even resulting in one member of the audience enquiring about the health of Katherine & Jessica’s cats. It really did feel like Smoke Fairies had a deep and personal connection with their audience, something many artists dream of.

Moving deeper into their set each song bled with passion and confidence and was greeted by rousing applause from the audience. As they ended their set with a brilliant piece of rock blues inspired guitar with a hint of folk magic the audience bellowed for more. They kept going until both Katherine & Jessica came back on stage but without their drummer and bass player. My curiosity was peaked and then blown away as they broke into two encore tracks that really showcased the duos harmonies and skill on blending their guitars into one seamless motion. Both songs washed over the audience, once again trapping them in a magical place beyond the walls of the venue. Normally with an encore its loud and keeps up the hype but what Katherine & Jessica did in those two songs for me, truly allowed the spirit of Smoke Fairies shine through in its purest form.

So there you have it. Once again blown away by some of the great artists making their rounds on the independent music scene. Needless to say before I left the venue I grabbed myself a copy of Smoke Fairies debut album ‘Through Low Light and the Trees’. So my advice to anyone reading this, grab a ticket as soon as you can to these bands and then enjoy a unique performance and see just where their music will transport you.

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