Tall Ships are special. The Brighton-based band have come a long way since the release of their self-titled debut EP back in 2010 – they released a fantastic debut album at the end of last year, and they’ve spent most of this year playing live to an ever-growing army of fans new and old.
Their Plymouth show was something of a homecoming for the band. Frontman and guitarist Rich Pheathean joyously namechecked several local venues throughout the set, including a loving mention to a certain local venue that played host to the band’s ‘second ever gig’. Pheathean is a natural frontman – he’s a gangly bundle of blonde hair and Kurt Cobain-esque stagecraft, and his confident (yet somewhat awkward) delivery ensures that the eyes of the room are nearly always focused solely on him.
The gig took very little time to get going – the energetic Chemistry was an early highlight that the band struggled to top for the remainder of the set. It still sounds as good as the day we first heard it, and it’s probably the track that best showcased the band’s smart use of loop pedals, effects and various other electronics. Tall Ships are blessed with a sound that’s distinctively theirs, yet it’s also achingly familiar – this results in you unknowingly singing along to songs that you’ve never heard before, which isn’t a bad thing for a band who’ve yet to release a hit single.
The pure passion and energy of the band ensured that even the most reluctant of attendees couldn’t fail to be won over by the thud of the drums and the beautifully layered groove of the bass and guitars. Keyboardist James Elliot Field adds yet another layer to the band’s powerful and energetic live sound, and you can’t help but feel that it just wouldn’t be the same without him. The soundman deserves a special mention – the mix and the overall sound of the gig was as good as any we’ve ever heard, and came very close to capturing the magic that is sprinkled all over the band’s studio recordings.
Tall Ships showed why they’re amongst the most talked-about new bands in Britain with a gloriously tight performance that showcased every ounce of their considerable musical talent. They’re young, they’re fresh and they’re exciting – get ready to hear a lot more from Tall Ships.
