Last Harbour - Portland Arms, Cambridge - Sun 25 March 2012

A Sunday evening gig is one you tend to drag yourself to, but being just down the road at the Portland Arms in Cambridge, who are purveyors of fine ales, it is always an easy choice.

A fine bill has been laid on tonight by local promoters ‘Crushing Death & Grief Fuzzy Lights offshoot ‘Violet Woods’ get the evening off to a sparkling start with lovely tunes and jangly sonic guitars.

I watched the BBC4 Prog Britannia TV show at the weekend and it talked about the Canterbury scene of the seventies. Tonight made me think that perhaps we will now have a Cambridge scene of 2012 with the likes of Fuzzy Lights, ModelVillage and Violet Woods.  Shame there’s no Broken Family Band anymore, but that’s another story.

Next up, the quite original ‘The Doomed Bird of Providence’ fronted by the larger than life Australian Mark Kluzek - a “non-accordion player”, who played the accordion and sang fervently on cold dark tales of woe from the debut album ‘Will Ever Pray’

Apparently the band, who were in a six piece mode last night, have the support of BBC 6Music’s Tom Ravenscroft and you would think, a pretty decent future in front of them. A great live set.

Last up and the night’s headliners are Last Harbour. The band are on their third album ‘Your Heart It Carries The Sound’ and their third visit to Cambridge. Another six piece, and a newly discovered (by me anyway) gem.

Based in Manchester there is a definite brooding nature around lead singer K. Craig’s performance that echoes that city on a dark rainy day. The songs are powered by Rickenbacker, Gibson and what looked like a homemade guitar, drums, dual keyboards and bass, and had magnificent depth.

With the songs sung via two mics simultaneously, the music become all the more layered and doom laden (in a nice way). This is an exceptional outfit, and quite why they are not up there with the recognition of say an Editors, Glasvegas or Foals is beyond me after three albums.

There, I got through the Last Harbour review without mentioning Ian Curtis and Joy Division …doooh!!!  but, they did also have that sound.

The ticket price for this gig was £5, and the small venue was only 50% full. It really is worth going out on a Sunday night!

Pete

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The Doomed Bird of Providence

Last Harbour 

SPRING 2012 tour

25th March: Cambridge, Portland Arms
26th March: Manchester, Band on the Wall
27th March: Hull, Adelphi
28th March: Preston, The Continental
29th March: Lancaster, Yorkshire House
30th March: Glossop, The Oakwood
31st March: Wigan, The Tudor
1st April: Hebden Bridge, Trades Club