Switzerland three piece Mama Rosin were the support tonight with a stripped down Parisian sounding take on the folk world. French vocals with 60’s surf guitar accompanied by accordion and drums, Mama Rosin certainly got the crowd tapping their feet.
As with many a gig at Southampton Guildhall the sound for Bellowhead left a lot to be desired through no fault of their own, and as such early tracks such as “10’000 Miles Away” lost the impact of having so many people on stage. Luckily however once the traditional drinking song “Whisky is a life of a Man” kicked in so had the sound, resulting in the start of a great gig.
Bellowhead’s enthusiastic performance had the perfect balance of fiddle led folk tunes such as “Byker Hill” from the critically acclaimed release Broadside, combined with more darker tracks such as “The Wife of Usher Hill“ also from the latest album. The horn section adds a depth to Bellowheads music, making it far more than just another folk outfit, and the musicianship of the band as a whole shone through on several thigh slapping instrumentals.
These instrumentals made for a joyful atmosphere with both band and audience loving every moment, which certainly made up for any issues with the venues acoustics. So after a fantastic main set and a brief encore I’d be amazed by anyone who managed to leave Southampton tonight without a smile on their face…
Mr Teeth
