"I love it here", says extroda-vocalist Sian Chandler. "it combines two of my favourite things: playing at Downend and drinking alcohol in church". There's a chuckle and the tell-tale fsst of a can opening.
You might think that this makes THE BLACK FEATHERS a hard drinking, good time rock'n'roll band. They are not. They are one of the finest country duos in the UK, writers of gloriously sad ear-worms, and heavenly harmonisers with a telepathic understanding. One of them is teetotal too.
Sian Chandler and Ray Hughes last visited Downend in 2017, somewhere around the release of Soaked To The Bone, their classic debut album. This time they're here in support of Where We Are, the new album released this week. Between the two albums they've toured extensively in America, taking their brand of Americana to every nook and cranny and it shows. Hughes is talkative and polished, Chandler simmers with restrained power.
Crowded around one of those old fashioned, bluegrass microphones their voices combine as though they were born to do it. Hughes brings with him an air of classic '70s rock, a little bit James Taylor; Chandler could, very simply, stop traffic. When she sings, the world is a better place. When she really lets rip, wars could stop, the sun could shine, peace could reign.
Down By The River is one of those carefully constructed, subtle as a whisper ear-worms. Driven by Chandler's voice, it's equal parts southern soul and straight-up country, their harmonies shivering in the half-light, Hughes and his acoustic guitar fluid, shimmering, water-like. They hold each other up, voices and guitar creating the perfect life-raft.
Taken from Soaked To The Bone, Homesick is another favourite from shows gone by. It's now been polished to a dazzling shine yet still aches with that elusive feeling of country loss. There are moments when, as she sings on her own, Chandler betrays a heartbreaking vulnerability, the tiniest catch in her voice. It's then that Hughes, her partner as well as band-mate, extends a harmony for her to lean on. It's such a beautiful relationship.
The new songs, especially Perfect Storm and Another Day, stay pretty close to The Black Feathers template. The guitar playing is lovely and both songs use Chandler's voice as their ignition, the harmonies dropping slightly as she crests the chorus. There's melancholy here but it's the sort of sadness that we all need.
There are two moments when the template is skewed, when the sadness is swept away. Both moments are incredible cover versions. Portishead's Glory Box has never sounded like this, that's for sure. Sian Chandler might not be a world-weary chanteuse, like Beth Gibbons, but their version is closer to a proper country tune. It's assured and sassy and the meaning of the song is completely changed. Sung as a duet, the cracked desperation is lost, replaced by a lustful longing. Norman Greenbaum's (or Dr & The Medics, if you'd prefer) Spirit In The Sky is slowed down, stretched out. If Chandler is a spirit in the sky then she's taken a wrong turn. Her voice is full of devilry and lascivious wickedness. Winding it up with some Addams Family finger-clickery seems entirely appropriate.
Holy Water tells of being a recovering alcoholic and is hushed, tender and restrained. They support one another, once again, until Chandler's voice is flooded with emotion. On Goodbye Tomorrow that voice is sinuous, curling like smoke. It is a deliciously versatile thing and worth the price of admission all by itself.
A second, spontaneous encore of Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi is utterly celebratory. Stepping from the stage, Hughes and Chandler dispense with their fabulous microphone and, instead, become part of an enthusiastic choir. Voices are raised, the song and the singing become the only intoxicant that anyone needs.
Just as intoxicating was BARNEY KENNY, in support. Part stomp-y acoustic folk-punk, part pedal steel driven blues, his set was electrifying. She Moves and Twig & Turf flicked a dreadlock in the direction of The Levellers with a rabble-rousing thrash whilst a version of Chris Stapleton's Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore added a hint of Gospel and uncovered Kenny's powerful and expressive voice. Driving displayed some impressively fast pedal steel skills and a love of America's wide open spaces.
The Black Feathers and Barney Kenny were the greatest way to start off Downend Folk & Roots' new season. We love it here.
Words: Gavin McNamara
Photos: Barry Savell
Our Autumn/Winter season kicks off with a welcome return for a duo who have firmly established themselves as favourites with South Gloucestershire’s music-lovers, in a concert that will also be streamed live.
And it will be an extra-special night, as THE BLACK FEATHERS will officially launch their new album, Where We Are, at the concert.
If you were of the belief that the duo are so named because of their love of dark humour and the smooth blending of harmony, you’d be wrong. If you were told that the name is more concerned with recognition of their gentle souls, a predilection for dark clothing and the sonic tumult of the plethora of (mainly US) progressive-metal bands doing mega-business around the world in the 1990s and beyond, you might doubt those who said so, but they would be accurate.
You’d be wrong as to the name, but you would be utterly correct that the sonic architecture of their lyrics and musical composition takes its imperious scope from a love of blended vocal harmony and idiosyncratic guitar shapes.
Americana to some, folk to others, The Black Feathers have those qualities in expansive quantity. Sian Chandler’s soaring, dramatic, melodious but powerful voice is a perfect counterpoint to Ray Hughes’ piquant vocals and his sparkling and occasionally spicy guitar motifs. This is a duo who love what they play and play what they love with panache, humour, delight and rather a lot of commentary on the downside of being a human.
Seeing and hearing them will leave you with a smile on your face and a glowing heart of delight. You might not think that is possible when you’ve just spent some time hearing the themes of the songs they lay before an audience but it is testament to their sunny dispositions, infectious laughter and amused self-deprecation that you can only come away from a gig feeling a whole heap better about yourself and life.
Opening the evening’s entertainment will be singer-songwriter BARNEY KENNY, who is quickly carving out a name for himself as a solo artist across the folk circuit. Armed with a six-string and a lap-steel slide guitar, Barney blends storytelling and acoustic music with his foot-stomping somewhat delta style. His writing crosses many boundaries throughout a live set, from Anglo- Celtic tunes to southern-blues rock to retellings of traditional songs from the transatlantic scene.
Tickets for the concert, which takes place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND on Friday 15 September 2023, are available online HERE and from MELANIE'S KITCHEN in Downend (cash only). They are priced at £14 each in advance or £16 on the door. Doors open at 7.30pm and the entertainment starts around 7.45pm.
There will be a bar, stocking cider, soft drinks, wine, hot drinks and real ale from locally-based HOP UNION BREWERY. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own glass/mug/tankard, as well as reusable bottles for water, as part of the drive to be more environmentally aware; there is a 50p discount for those that do. There will also be sweet treats available at the bar courtesy of the Radstock-based GREAT CAKE COMPANY, as well as a prize draw, which helps to fund the support artists for each concert. For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For those unable to make it to Downend, the concert will be available to stream from the comfort of your own home, via LIVE TO YOUR LIViNG ROOM. Please see livetoyourlivingroom.com for tickets and information.
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We are a heady mixture of proud and excited to announce our programme for Autumn/Winter 2023 as we continue to deliver on our promise to bring the very best in folk, roots and acoustic music to South Gloucestershire. We're featuring four top-quality headliners, four very exciting emerging talents as support artists, and we'll continue to cater for our online audience as we'll be live-streaming two of the four concerts in partnership with our friends at LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.
So, who's coming to Downend? Read on...
We begin our season on Friday 15 September with a highly-anticipated return for Downend Folk & Roots favourites THE BLACK FEATHERS. To say they're back for a third appearance by popular demand would be an understatement... they've been the most requested artists over the last couple of years! Sian Chandler’s soaring, dramatic, melodious but powerful voice is a perfect counterpoint to Ray Hughes’ piquant vocals and his sparkling and occasionally spicy guitar motifs. Americana to some, folk to others, this is a duo who love what they play and play what they love with panache, humour, delight and rather a lot of commentary on the downside of being a human. Joining them on the bill will be BARNEY KENNY, who is quickly carving out a name for himself as a solo artist across the folk circuits. Armed with a 6-string and a lap steel slide guitar, Barney's music doesn't fall into the normal trappings of 'folk'. Heavily influenced by world music, blues and rock, Barney blends storytelling and acoustic music with his foot-stomping somewhat delta style. This concert will be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.
HANNAH SANDERS & BEN SAVAGE headline our next concert, on Friday 20 October. Since emerging in 2016, Hannah & Ben have been defying all conventions of style, genre and compartmentalisation. A touch of Americana, yet quintessentially English. Traditional, yet contemporary, with their individual writing style. Playful and instinctive, they constantly do the unexpected; yet they do it with such panache and natural chemistry it makes perfect sense. Hannah & Ben released a new album Ink of the Rosy Morning on Topic Records in early 2022. Opening the evening will be LAUREN SOUTH, a Rugby-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose self-penned and traditional songs have gained her a reputation as one of Warwickshire’s finest folk musicians. Tenor guitar, fiddle and shruti box provide backing for songs full of emotion and imagery, inspired by Lauren’s love of traditional folk, the night sky, nature and motherhood. Her eagerly-awaited album Tiny Boat is due out in 2023.
WARD KNUTUR TOWNES found their sound when the world fell silent. In 2020, these three singer-songwriters - Lucy Ward (Derbyshire), Svavar Knutur (Iceland) and Adyn Townes (Canada) - were selected to take part in a virtual global music sharing experiment called Global Music Match. Teamed up together, they spent several lockdowns turning their stories into soft harmonies and intricate melodies. This year, they cashed in their stagnant travel points and recorded their debut album in Iceland. It will be released in Autumn 2023 and they headline our concert on Friday 17 November, where they will be supported by MADDIE MORRIS. Maddie strives to make a difference in the world. Bold, insightful and refreshingly unique, she takes traditional song in new directions to shine a light on contemporary issues. Described by our Patron Jim Moray as “leading the next generation of socially conscious songwriters”, she uses her work to highlight inequality, challenge viewpoints and provide an inclusive space for shared experiences.
Rounding off our Autumn/Winter programme and headlining our now legendary Christmas concert on Friday 15 December will be one of the most exciting young trios to emerge in recent years, as they embark on a festive-themed tour. Taking their name from a Gerard Manley Hopkins classic, THE WILDERNESS YET fuse the clear, charismatic vocals of former BBC Young Folk Award finalist Rosie Hodgson with the fine, sensitive fiddling of Rowan Piggott and the deft guitar and flute playing of Philippe Barnes. Lockdown saw the trio record Turn The Year Round, a winter album featuring classic carols and carefully arranged seasonal favourites. The album has proven to be hugely popular, with the band even playing live on BBC Radio 3 on Christmas Day 2022. Joining the trio on the bill will be LEO MACKENZIE, a singing cellist who is unique in using the baroque cello to accompany his own voice. Drawing on an eclectic mix of styles and almost two decades of live performance, he is now embarking on his first solo project. This concert will be live-streamed in partnership with LIVE TO YOUR LIVING ROOM.
All four concerts will take place at CHRIST CHURCH DOWNEND. Seating is unreserved. The concerts are priced at £14 in advance, £16 on the door, but you can also buy a season ticket for all four concerts for £50 (no booking fees!), a saving of almost £10. All tickets are non-refundable. They are available online HERE, and they will also be available from MELANIE’S KITCHEN in Downend ahead of each individual gig. Please note that Melanie's Kitchen can only take cash payments and season tickets are not available at the shop. There will be a full bar at all concerts, as well as a prize draw, all proceeds of which go towards booking our support artists. Doors open at 7.30pm for a 7.45pm start.
We're really excited about this season, and we hope you will be too. Keep supporting live music!
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