Flags at The Louisiana in Bristol

Posted on: 2014-05-18

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I may have just been witness to the start of something incredible. If you missed this Flags performance they will be back in Bristol at The Birdcage on Friday 22 August 2014.


 

Flags gave an outstanding performance at the Louisiana last night, the only injustice being that they were not playing to an audience of thousands. I, as others before me, predict big things for this band. Certainly ‘ones to watch’.

Flags live at The Louisiana in BristolThe band is composed of four members; Duncan Silvey on bass, Mike Morgan on drums, Pete Jovetic on guitar and Rory Gilmore giving the whole thing vocals. On stage they practically reek of chemistry, playing beautifully as though they were all one mind and keeping the sound impeccably tight. Rory’s stirring lyrics are given such a passionate edge when brought to live performance, and Duncan’s charming, almost robotic flailing really is something to behold. There is a definite sense of emotion pulsing through the band, the intricate story of their trip to Woody Bay Cottage (where they wrote their first EP, Oil and Sparks) shining through in the very tone of the music. The heart and spirit of Flags makes them an incredible live act to see.

The set was but half an hour long, from 10:30pm- 11pm, but gave the band ample time to showcase their masterfully on-point sound. With each richly textured song, the room was filled with tempestuously emotive feeling, embodying everything that the Oil and Sparks EP aims to be. Flags played a few songs from the EP, the eponymous track being possibly the most rousing moment of the night, and “took it down a notch” to give the audience a brilliant performance of a slower new song, Wales.

Amidst sound checks and setup; Duncan, Mike and Pete were kind enough to give us a quick interview before the show. With half the band being very much local talent living “Just up the road” from the venue itself, there was a lot of fondness expressed for playing in Bristol. “We get the best sound in Bristol,” assures drummer Mike, “In fact I would say I prefer it to anywhere else.” When asked, Duncan and Pete also chipped in, commenting that “People are just more accepting here. In some places, like London, people can write you off if they don’t like your sound right away. We’ve always found that in Bristol, people are far more likely to give you a chance, see what you’ve got to offer.”

The experience of recording the Oil and Sparks EP has been credited with its own charming story (which can be read in full on the band’s Facebook page) detailing their trip to a secluded part of the country which resulted in some of the most powerful lyrics and haunting rhythms to come forward this year. “The place gave the EP its sound. It’s just so fruitful being somewhere like that if you want to work from scratch. You can just focus on the music, there’s no distractions... well maybe one or two, with the beach being literally right outside, but they were good distractions!”

“Definitely... Once More With Balance, it just encapsulates what we want to be as a band.” was Duncan’s immediate response to my query as to the band’s favourite song to play live. “When we play that, I think of Woody Bay [The place where the EP was recorded] the most. It’s like every other song is leading to that one.”

During our chat, the band told me how much things have changed since their first shows, not least due to the addition of Mike to the band, who was originally covered by a laptop. “We formed through uni, but there was only three of us to start with. And a laptop. You could literally hear the click of the space bar before each song!” Talk soon fell to personal listening habits, with each band member throwing rather different genres into the mix. Duncan kicked it off, “Personally I’m into weird stuff. Synth-y, soundscapes like...Brian Eno, John Talibot that sort of thing.” Whereas Mike professed to being “a fan of 90’s music, I guess that’s just from growing up around it, Rage and Nirvana and the Chilis.” Pete was more into indie music, citing Foals and more “guitar-based” music as his jam... that, and Metallica. Although I suspect that was a tad sarcastic. The final consensus was that everybody listens to such varied music that their sound is derived from many sources, each member bringing their own unique merit to the overall feel.

Finally, I asked them the tried and tested ‘sum up your band in three words’ cliché, prompting a surge of laughter at Mike’s suggestion of the word “thesaurus”. Eventually, after some good-natured heckling (“we’re gonna be on in a minute, mate, hurry up”), they settled on their three words, which create the essence of Flags: considered, powerful and passionate.

And that seemed a good point for closure.

The night was intimate, emotive and a hell of a lot of fun, and I certainly came away with the feeling that I may have just been witness to the start of something incredible. If you missed this performance, Flags will be returning to Bristol to play The Birdcage on 22nd August later this year.

 

Miri Teixeira with the boys from Flags at The Louisiana in BristolReviewed and photos by Miri Teixeira for 365Bristol - pictured with the band



Article by:

James Anderson

Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.