Jamie Yost + Olly Parker Trio + Jack Cookson & Calvin Thomas + Roz Birch @ the Barbican Theatre, Plymouth – 27th April 2018
At the top of a narrow, granite
staircase leading off the historic Barbican quarter of Plymouth there is a set
of orange doors that leads in to a small Thai restaurant called the B-Bar. At
the back of this restaurant there is a staircase that leads you through a plastic
floral corridor and then suddenly, somehow, you arrive in a tall, luxurious
theatre space which feels like a hidden, almost secret space where like-minded
people can gather together to share ideas and relax without fear of being reported
on by the oppressive regime. The space is called the Barbican Theatre and I may
have been watching two many World War II documentaries.
 |
| Roz Birch |
Anyhow, we are gathered here
tonight at a sold-out show to witness the unveiling of the debut EP from the super talented Jamie Yost but before the show, it is customary to have a little dinner. The starter is served up by Roz
Birch and her music is food for the soul. Armed with only a piano and a
voice that could soothe the most savage of beasts, Birch set about soothing the
frazzled, end-of-week nerves of the sell-out crowd. Songs from her new EP ‘Precious
Gifts’ are scattered throughout a set full of superb original material that
shows Birch to be a soulful, blues tinged artist of high class who is willing
to plumb the depths of the heart to get to the raw emotion of a song. The most
glorious thing about this opening set as an appetiser for the evening is how
Birch’s voice fills the vast space of the theatre and simultaneously keeps the
entire audience hanging on her every note. Delicious.
 |
| Jack Cookson & Calvin Thomas |
Now, for the main course you want
something with complex but complimentary flavours that leaves you satisfied yet
still wanting more. Let’s lift the cloche and reveal the tasty delights of Jack Cookson & Calvin Thomas. One
looks like beatnik poet from 50s America while the other could have been
playing the blues on the back of a trawler in the mid-Atlantic, but both can play
guitar and both have winning smiles. Hungry yet? As the two companions trade
songs with each other, it’s impossible not to get drawn in to their world of
gentle folk, well observed lyrics and wry humour. There is some banter about
sharing socks and the wetness of harmonicas which turns the cavernous theatre
space in to the cosiest of gigs talking the whole audience with them on their
meandering journey, complete with wrong turns and scenic routes.
 |
| Olly Parker |
The dessert is always a ‘will-we-won’t-we’
moment but it’s always impossible to resist when there’s a fresh trio on offer – step forward the Olly Parker Trio. This
is the first outing for the three-piece with the songs centred around the
acoustic songs of Parker but embellished subtly yet beautifully by the ambient
guitar notes of Fergus Tanner and the sombre Cello of Joss Etty. Parker’s songs
have matured from his solo material in to an ambient indie-folk style with the
additional musicians giving the sound a fuller, more rounded vibe and you can’t
help but be swept away in to the soundscapes within the songs. There’s something
genuinely exciting about watching a band emerge from their chrysalis in front
of you and tonight the Olly Parker Trio became a butterfly. Maybe a butterfly
cake, that’s a dessert isn’t it?
So, that’s dinner over with and I’m
stuffed but now it’s time for the show so pull up a chair. Jamie Yost is a Torquay native who has been adopted by Plymouth and
he’s quickly become one of the leading lights of the city’s burgeoning music
scene. Surrounded by some of the most talented musicians the city has to offer,
Yost nervously straps on his guitar and welcomes the crowd to rapturous
applause. Working through a set of his own songs, Yost shows a soulfulness and
depth far beyond his years not to mention a voice that could melt a heart at a
hundred paces. Switching effortlessly between electric and acoustic
(traditional and lap), Yost also spends some time sitting behind a piano and
you have to wonder at the musical ability of a man who has clearly spent just
as much time crafting the songs as he has practicing the art of playing. There
is a spine-tingling moment when the sell-out crowd sings the chorus of recent
single ‘Stay’ back at Yost, nearly knocking him off his stride, but it’s no
surprise as it’s a serious hook with mass appeal.
 |
| Jamie Yost |
The band take a well-earned break
and so Yost treats us to some solo material including early song ‘Small Town’
about growing up in his native Torquay. As the band re-join their leader, the
set builds to a triumphant and atmospheric climax with the drumming of Dan
Johnson adding an intensity that burrows in to your every sense. A standing
ovation closes out the night and we’re left in no doubt that we’ve just
witnessed the transition of a musician moving from promising local talent to
serious contender and it was a delight to be part of.
More information:
All photos by the Lazy Photographer – https://www.facebook.com/thelazyphotographers/
The Barbican Theatre - https://www.barbicantheatre.co.uk/
Jamie Yost – https://www.facebook.com/jamieyostmusic/
Olly Parker Trio – https://www.facebook.com/ollyparkermusic/
Jack Cookson – https://www.facebook.com/JackCooksonMusic/
Calvin Thomas – https://www.facebook.com/CalvinThomasMusic/
Roz Birch – https://www.facebook.com/rozbirchmusic/