Raintown at The Tunnels in Bristol gig review
Posted on: 2015-10-13
Our rating:
2015 has been an exciting year for Raintown, with a packed schedule of festival appearances and trips across the Atlantic and to Australia, as well as the release of their second album. Based on this performance there are many great things in store.
Multi award winning duo Raintown took to the stage at The Tunnels in Bristol on 12th October 2015 and firmly cemented their reputation as one of the leading country acts in Europe. 365Bristol sent our reviewers along to give their verdict.
Having been crowned ‘Duo of the Year’ at the British Country Music Awards in 2013 and the Best New Scottish Music Act at the Scottish variety Awards 2014, as well as being the only act to play 3 hugely successful Country2Country festivals at London’s O2 Arena and holding the record for capacity crowd in London’s Brooklyn Bowl, I was hoping for great things from them and they certainly lived up to my expectations.
Currently touring the UK with their new Album ‘Writing on the Wall’, the duo; married couple Paul Bain and Claire McArthur-Bain strive to bring their unique stylings to the crowds. Mixing their genuine passion for Country music with a nod to a variety of musical influences has given their music and lyrics a pop sound as well as a slight rocky edge which sets them aside from their peers in this field and makes their music appeal to those who aren’t solely country aficionados.
Raintown are supported on this UK tour by Dexeter, a folky sounding Americana band who are developing a loyal fan base after their appearance at Country to Country 2014. Listening to their quality lyrics which so beautifully convey human emotion, coupled with the powerful vocals of lead singer Deanne it is easy to see why this group are making such advances into the business. Those familiar with the Country scene will be hearing much more from Dexeter.
Hitting the stage Raintown were given a hugely enthusiastic welcome by the small but dedicated number of country fans who’d gathered for the main event. The duo delivered competent performances of songs from their new album along with a few old classics, highlights of the set included the affecting If This Was a Love Song and the fun and very catchy Nineteen Again, though I have to say the supposedly thought provoking Shut the Front Door, a tune about not caring about public opinion was a little misjudged and could be considered humorous at best.
Taking the lead on the majority of songs Claire is a fine vocalist able to deal with the changes in style with aplomb. Clearly a talented artist: when backed by Paul she is able to excel, and together they create vibrant harmonies as the tones of their voices blend seamlessly. Not quite so dynamic are the songs where Paul takes lead; his voice is not as strong as that of his wife and their music suffers when he moves away from the role of harmonising backing vocalist.
While not ground-breaking, their original songs are in the main well crafted, with catchy tunes and lyrics that somewhat tug on the heartstrings. This was an exciting, energy packed gig for the duo who engaged well with the crowd and delivered a compelling set that kept the audience engrossed throughout.
2015 has been an exciting year for Raintown, with a packed schedule of festival appearances and trips across the Atlantic and to Australia, as well as the release of their second album. Based on this performance it is clear that there are many great things in store for Raintown in the future.
4/5
Reviewed by Sarah-Jane Howard for www.365Bristol.com
Article by:
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.
