Gig Reviews

When Chris Woods first mentioned the Crafted Acoustic Tour to me a few months back, I wasn’t completely convinced. It seemed an unlikely combination – fairly conventional singer-songwriter Cole Stacey teamed with Woods, an experimental slap-groove instrumental guitarist, with both artists sharing equal billing. Surely the same audience wouldn’t be interested in these two rather different sides of the acoustic world? But on this showing, on an extremely wet and rainy night at a small, intimate venue in Topsham, the concept worked surprisingly well.

Some of that success stemmed from the fact that both musicians clearly respect each other’s work. Consequently, the gig – the penultimate date of their UK tour – had an agreeable bonhomie. Both sets were delivered confidently, offering quality musicianship and passion in equal measure. It also seemed that Cole and Chris were lifting their game in a friendly, gladiatorial manner, coaxing the very best out of each other. In addition, there was plenty of audience interaction, helped by the venue’s intimate setting. But the deciding factor was the sharp contrast in styles; if you were less keen on one set, you’d probably like the other. And cleverly, both musicians chose numbers that could appeal to a wide variety of acoustic fans.

The spotlight – or rather The Globe’s candles and string of decorative lights – fell on Cole for the first half. His heartfelt lyrics, distinctive and soaring vocal, high-quality compositions and punchy acoustic guitar work were delightfully strong. While Cole’s solo work was good, the numbers worked even better when John Barlow (12-string) and Joseph O’Keefe (violin) fleshed them out with tasteful contributions. Opening with a crisp rendition of ‘Coconut Skins’ from Cole’s current EP, the set built neatly, highlights being the passionate and catchy ‘Just A Little Deeper’ and the moody, bluesy ‘Boulevard For A Heart’ (which is rapidly becoming a personal favourite). Cole’s friendly patter between numbers helped to warm things further, and by the time he’d finished with a delicate interpretation of Gillian Welch’s ‘The Way It Goes’ and an emphatic ‘Changing Faces’, he’d clearly impressed the audience.

Judging by this assured performance, it wouldn’t surprise me if Cole crosses over to the mainstream at some stage and gets a hit or two. Some of his numbers are clearly commercial and he has a natural charm, which really comes out onstage, that shouldn’t be too difficult to market.

For many musicians, Cole’s solid set would be a hard act to follow, but Chris Woods took it in his stride. His fretboard fireworks, percussive slaps, soaring harmonics and delay FX, often underpinned by a stompbox, may be an acquired taste, but live it proved to be an impressive and dazzling masterclass in acoustic guitar technique. Fascinating to watch onstage, at times it seemed extraordinary that just one man could produce such a powerful, multilayered sound from such a minimal amount of gear.

Helpfully, as his set progressed, Chris gave us the context for some of the compositions, explaining the inspiration behind them, often tinged with his natural, self-deprecating humour. The opener ‘Michelle’ (dedicated to his partner) and ‘Rolling Hills’ (about the joys of Dartmoor) set high standards – and the set was further fuelled by impressive versions of the intricate ‘Wistman’s Woods’ and the brooding ‘Resilience’. There was even some audience participation as Chris encouraged us to slap our thighs (steady now) and clap our hands during ‘Together’. And stemming from Chris’s experiences of living near a lively nightclub in Exmouth, there was the fiery ‘Night Life’, bringing his strong and distinctive set to a close.

Finally, there was a terrific touch as all four musicians gathered onstage for an encore. After thanking everyone for coming, including Acoustic magazine for all its recent support, they performed a blistering take on Cole’s ‘Light A Candle’. A fitting end to a memorable evening of high-quality music, it was an appropriate piece to guide us on our way home, sloshing through the puddles.

There’s already talk of a second Crafted Acoustic Tour to come during 2012. Make sure you catch it …

Paul Strange