Pencarrow
9th April 2021
Paisley Stage, Napier, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, Photography by Andrew Caldwell.
It has been said that one of the great pleasures in the life of the truly devoted music fan, i.e. one who goes deeper, by degrees of magnitude, than a casual consumer – the discoverer of the hitherto-unknown, whether it be a single artist previously undiscovered or as much as a whole genre of music as yet untapped. Sometimes it may be an act who’ve long since broken up, other times it can be the fortuitous finding of an artist or ensemble who has slipped under the collective radar but is producing quality music that’s criminally under-appreciated. Even better if that act, rather than being a reclusive presence squirreling away on the other side of the world in a tiny village from which they never emerge due to stage fright, where their true fame is known only to the postman, actually springs from one’s own country, and what’s more, are not at all averse to making their presence known! From that point arises a number of possible outcomes, among these being the possibility of becoming a total bore by loudly extolling the virtues of this act to whoever will listen, while simultaneously, and contrarily, hoping they never become too popular because then they won’t be your little secret any more, and you’d have to be that guy – the one who’s always saying “Well I knew them five albums ago, and you lot are just the latecomers!”
Wherever you may fit amongst any of the above categories, now’s your chance to be an Early Adopter™, by discovering the sounds of Wellington’s Pencarrow, currently embarking on a nationwide tour.
This is a crew who craft hugely ambitious sounds, that are often categorised by those to whom such things are important, into the realm of prog rock – a genre which some may think had died out, after reaching a bloated peak in the 70s. However, don’t let that put you off – these are highly melodic compositions, skilfully played by a band who really know their stuff. In the space of the first two tracks on current album “Growth In The Absence of Light”, I was reminded of Pink Floyd, Joe Satriani, King Crimson (the original incarnation), and Rammstein – not bad for a couple of instrumentals!
The band are led by Tonnie Ten Hove on guitar and vocals, with Anthony Rose on keys, Elton Halford on bass, and drummer Justin Chorley. They have two albums under their belts, both accomplished pieces of work which deliver much to reward the dedicated listener, while promising much more to come. Have a listen to both of them, so you’ll be familiar with the tunes when you go to the gig! You know you want to, if only to see who the fuck these guys are, and what this deranged reviewer is on about!!
I had the pleasure of catching their show at the Paisley Stage in Napier, and based on this will be eagerly awaiting a return visit.
Following on from the always interesting DeLune, who continues to evolve and develop her craft, the second act of the night were The Saloons, from Wairoa, playing their first ever gig – and it didn’t show at all! These boys play rock-‘n’-roll with a confidence and presence belying their tender years, and will definitely be ones to watch.
Pencarrow took to the stage with album opener “In Medias Res”, wearing their Pink Floyd influence proudly, it’s brooding keyboard intro paying homage to the spirit of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. Of necessity, the live band is a four-piece, but in the studio this is augmented by a choir, an orchestra and the sounds of Javanese gamelan, among other diverse sounds, all adding to a rich and impressive sonic palette.
Second piece played, “Portrait of my Intimate Frailty” allowed Tonnie to show off his hugely impressive guitar skills, all played from the comfort of a wheeled chair, following an unfortunate incident with some hot water a few days earlier. Still, he managed some blistering playing…
This is no one-man band though, not by any means, with all players given the chance to shine, bassist Elton standing out on “Time Dilation” with its almost 80’s dance vibe, driven by a pulsing bassline and a wee bit of something that put me in mind of (them again!) Pink Floyd’s “One Of These Days”. The one-two punch of “New Light” and “Memory Terminal” allowed Anthony to show off his keyboard skills, the first with its fast-paced noodlings, the second slowing the mood with a more sombre piano interlude. And not forgetting Justin the drum maestro, providing the solid backbone through the set, giving the lie to an old joke (Q:What do you call a guy that hangs out with musicians? A: A drummer!)
But again, words can only convey so much-if you can at all, go catch this hyper-skilled troupe as they wend their way around the country. Tell them I sent you, if that helps!
Were you there at the Paisley Stage for this epic performance? Or have you seen Pencarrow perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Note [AD]: Pencarrow provided passes to Ambient Light to review this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only.
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