Dawn Fletcher-Park catches up with Oxford's folk-pop darlings Stornoway, shaking a leg in a roller disco by the docks...

  • Stornoway
  • The Engine Rooms Southampton
  • April 21, 2015

Strolling towards the The Engine Rooms near Southampton docks I wondered if I was in the right place. The venue, also known as the Mo' Club, doubles up as a roller disco. It seemed an incongruous spot to see Oxford's pastoral folk-pop band Stornoway though they had made it their own with the sound of twittering birds and swirling coloured patterns dancing across the ceiling.

Opening act The Lost Brothers, an established duo with roots in Ireland, set the tone for the evening with a stripped-back folksy 'Simon and Garfunkel-meets the Kinks' kind of sound. The audience were enthralled by their troubadour-like dulcet tones.

Entering the stage to whistles and whoops, Stornoway's singer Brian Briggs greeted the crowd warmly. Connecting instantly with the fans, he shared the band's excitement about starting the tour and confessed to feeling a little nervous.

Briggs, a keen ornithologist, introduced Between the Saltmarsh and the Sea from new release, Bonxie, which, he explained, is the nickname given to the Great Skua. To their credit, much of the audience was already familiar with the material from the album which only hit the shelves a week ago.

And so the ecological, mellifluous musical journey began. Interspersed with birds warbling and the occasional whale song, Stornoway passionately exuded warmth and love for the natural word. Striking was the sincerity and genuine appreciation towards their fans. The infectious vibe rubbed off on the crowd who hung on Brian's every word.

Sprinkling the evening with much loved classics such as I saw you Blink , and Farewell Appalachia - a crowd pleaser of immense proportions, Stornoway took us on a magical trip intertwining old with new, treating the audience to delicious harmonies, such as an unplugged rendition of sea-shanty styled Josephine. From that first intake of breath, you could hear a pin drop.

New song Lost Youth, with its happy-clappy uplifting edge, had the crowd bopping unabashedly along.

Seguing into sing-along anthem Fuel up, Briggs joked with the audience about being tempted to perform on roller-skates. Engaging the crowd and bantering about his self-confessed proclivity for all things bird like, Briggs kept it personal, quipping about lesser know facts of the local area. (Did you know that Captain Birdseye Fish-fingers were first tested here?) And just when you thought it couldn't get much better, the band kicked the tempo up full throttle with When You're Feeling Gentle - its jaunty feel-good melody immediately had the crowd dancing on their toes, whicn continued with Zorbing.

Oxford Mail:

Beginning the encore with Otis Clay's The Only Way is Up, and ending with Love of the Beta Male, it was hard not to appreciate Briggs's lyrical genius. His self-deprecating lyrics subtly suggest that it's okay to be – for want of a better word 'nerdy' by society's standards - no apologies needed.

Stornoway clearly have the whole package - good vibes, good looks, and a whole load of talent wrapped up with wholesome youthful energy, whilst oozing musical vibrancy and intelligent lyrics.

The crowd left buzzing on a high, clearly wanting more. I too began wondering where and when I could get my next fix.