Turning off Princes Street, Lothian Road is amass with people walking somewhere, striding even, their sights set firmly on the Usher Hall, where Ben Howard‘s set will take them somewhere else entirely.
This venue was sure to attract, its elegance and towering balconies perfectly juxtaposed against the raw, darker melodies that distinguish Howard’s latest delivery and at the climax of intense anticipation, Howard leads his infinite fans in to a night where they have no choice but to cling on to each and every quivering note, promising to be nothing short of electric.
His trip to Edinburgh fits in halfway through the band’s 2014 tour and as he murmurs to the crowd, is a less frequented haunt in contrast to his numerous gigs in Glasgow.
The latter is reminiscent of those days when he studiously plucked away in dark corners, acoustic guitar and soaring voice, undiscovered yet blatantly going places.
What’s clear now is that Howard has come a long way, but still epitomises those genuine, humble roots, he may fill out every floor space and tiered gallery in the iconic Hall, fans screaming his name, but talent speaks for itself.
The limelight may not be of interest, but white lights drench the stage as a beer-fuelled crowd gasp for breath.
Opening track ‘Conrad’ signifies the start of a defiant transition, an effortless take on what he does best.
The new album is daring, encapsulating a darker twist in slow building heights, an elevation to new resounding levels.
Mesmerised, it’s clear from the swaying bodies that no-one wants to be anywhere else and as Howard guides them through the journey, their movements get more manic in spine-tinglingly epic ‘End of the Affair’ and romantically magnificent latest single ‘I Forget Where We Were’, you’d be forgiven for forgetting where you are altogether.
India Bourne, Howard’s graceful sidekick, certainly has, gliding fairy-like around the stage and from one instrument to the next, her classically trained voice piercing through ‘She Treats Me Well’, echoing her Devon roots and fierce musicality.
The hollow swell and pounding electricity, felt in ‘Rivers In Your Mouth’ and ‘Black Flies’ would be undeniably unobtainable, void of Chris Bond on double bass and astounding drums, a melancholic team, they laugh and push Howard back on track, as he looks confused and realises out loud that he’s got the wrong song.
The crowd’s transportation is confirmed when Howard introduces ‘The End of the Affair’ as “’Old Pine’s dirty second cousin”, cackling under his breath in a way that he cannot seem to inhibit throughout the night.
As he reaches for another swig of his precariously placed drink, a reveller shouts “go on son”, in typically Scottish fashion.
Eerie atmosphere, mixed with sense of awe and euphoria, single this gig out as something ground-breaking and equally etched in your memory, though you get the impression from Howards’s absolute composure that he will not be overwhelmed by mounting success and new album grandiose.
The ‘Small Things’ matter and this is the track that gathers round you and you simply cannot shake.
As the audience filters out, you get the feeling that they will always relate to those graceful vocals that tell a story of his shy demeanour.
It’s this that will captivate fresh faces and cement his place as a singer/songwriter with the nations’ arms held strong.
Words/Photos: Lucy Sharladow
