Baskery at the Barrel House: A Night to Remember

You know that feeling after a long week, Friday arrives and all you want to do is shut yourself off from the world with a bottle of wine and an unlimited supply of dippy things and posh crisps? Socialising with other humans in a public space while pretending to be interested seems ludicrous and you tell yourself over and over, “I’m not going out tonight.”

That feeling is compounded further when the rain bounces off the cars outside, justifying your decision to stay in and reacquaint yourself with the sofa and the telly.

But then a younger part of your brain has a word. It reminds you of life before children. About the times you went out all night and arrived at work the following day still wearing your going-out clothes. This younger self begins as a whisper but eventually shouts, “You’ve still got it! Get in the shower. Get dressed and have some fun you boring git!”

I’m glad I listened to my slightly aggressive inner youth because on Friday 5th of July I dragged myself to the Barrel House where I and many others were treated to a fantastic night of alternative indie, folk, rock, americana, nordicana, blues with a side order of storytelling to add even more value to an already jam-packed evening. And all this from just two amazing acts.

And to think I was just gonna stay home and eat my own body weight in nibbles!

Ellie Finnerty: Singer-Songwriter from Devon

Ellie Finnerty is a singer-songwriter from Devon who opened the night at the Barrel House with a stage presence and confidence that immediately resonated with those in attendance. Ellie and percussionist Sam Elliot looked at home on the stage but looking and acting the part is one thing, it means nuffin if you can’t back it up with top tunes and a great performance! I’m happy to report they didn’t disappoint.

As an opening act, you must learn to deal with those peripheral movements as people arrive and take up their positions as you’re trying to do your thang. And of course, there are always those annoying types who seem unable to lower their voices while chatting as if standing in the beer garden. I hope you’re reading this. Just stop it. Stop talking. No one cares about your recycling dilemma, mate.

But these minor issues didn’t bother Ellie as she worked through her interesting mix of… erm, I’m not entirely sure. It’s like pop but not. Folk but with a bit of extra funk. She intertwines her songs with a mixture of storytelling and audience participation that doesn’t feel forced in the slightest and then from out of nowhere she only went and performed a bloody rap tune!

And it was really good. I was shocked. Everyone was. A small group in the crowd I named the Tuckenhay Crew said, “It was a sensation. A slam!” It proved Ellie’s musical range and more importantly, she entertained us with her catchy lyrics and likeable nature.

On paper, Ellie may be an emerging artist but she’s a very active performer, playing at UK festivals and on cruise ships worldwide. She’s on a mission to be an International Musician and I asked Ellie before the show about her future.

“I’d love to play Glastonbury Festival. I went this year for the first time and it was amazing. If I’m being honest, my dream is to play the Second Stage but I’d be happy to start on a little wooden plinth in the acoustic area and work my way up from there.”

I think we’ll be seeing Ellie on the Glastonbury stage soon enough and according to Tracie Gillies from the Barrel House, there are plans to bring her back to Totnes very soon to headline her own event. But if you can’t wait, head to Ellie Finnerty and check out her music today and keep updated about her EP which is due for release soon.

Baskery: NO MESSING ABOUT!

And suddenly Baskery arrived on stage and there was no messing about. The upbeat, loud and infectious tempo transformed the atmosphere in the room and within seconds lines of dancing bodies filled the dancefloor. A group of ladies took up positions directly in front of the stage and appeared well-acquainted with the band and as they began chucking out some serious moves it set the tone for the rest of the crowd who enthusiastically joined in.

When reviewing a gig, my first instinct is to perform a deep dive into the band – to become an expert in half an hour. But I restrained myself. I wanted to experience these 3 b*tches (their phrase – Greta Bondesson: Guitar banjo/guitars, drums, harmonica, vocals, Stella Bondesson: Double bass, electric bass, vocals. Sunniva Bondesson: Acoustic/electric guitars, cello, vocals) from Sweden without any prior judgments and I’m 100% happy with that decision.

Having no previous knowledge of their playlists meant hearing Shut the Catflap for the first time. I literally stood there gobsmacked wondering how they just got away with turning the sentence “shut the catflap” into an absolute tune!

It didn’t take long to understand why promotor Tracie Gillies chose Ellie as the supporting act because Baskery were also difficult to pin down musically. Not like that’s important, necessarily. I personally enjoyed the shifts in tone and style as one minute they played a crowd favourite Had to Let You Go which included some hamstring-tearing high kicks by Sunniva, then shifted gear with the hip-swinging soulful The Curse which sounded so good – transporting me to a time gone by where people smoked skinny cigars and drank martinis at round tables in dimly lite underground bars.

Many times throughout the night I felt I was experiencing the old and the new simultaneously. A nostalgic ride through America’s 1960s pop scene mixed with the occasional Nordic folk song and a whole lot of other styles I’m not qualified to describe. Just know, it was fantastic. The mixture of genres and sound manifested into physical reality during the encore when Baskery performed a selection of Neil Young songs that were greatly appreciated by the crowd and finished the night off perfectly. Audience member Ian said, “This was great fun and the Neil Young covers brought such a nice vibe. It showed their passion for the music.”

The final word can go to local lady Catherine who sums up Baskery’s performance in a single sentence, “I’ve seen them three times now and will definitely do it again!”

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And to read more from our author head over to adamglennon.com