Ward Thomas - Are flying the flag for UK Country and Folk

****

Rising stars shine in Bristol 

Ward Thomas are twin sisters from Hampshire who have been making quite a name in the Country scene, steadily rising up the bills of festivals and playing bigger and bigger venues. They join a number of notable Country and Folk acts compromising of sibling groups in currently including Wildwood Kin and The Staves. This is their biggest headline tour to date and they certainly put on a show.

Before Ward Thomas take the stage we are treated to another rising country act in The Wandering Hearts. Since last November when Music Trespass last covered them they have lost a member but while it changed the sound a bit it is not for any loss of power or quality, some of the harmonies have been adapted to take into account the new make up. It was great to see a support band play through the initial chatter and silence the crowd, certainly warming them up to tonight’s main act.

Ward Thomas take the stage, with the two sisters taking centre stage and the four backing band members in a line wearing white t shirts, sort of like a folk Kraftwerk visual. Fortunately that becomes more fluid as the night goes on. The crowd are called in to offer their additional music in the form of hand claps for ‘Guilty Flowers’.

It was noticeable what a mixed crowd they had, from couples to groups of mates of all ages and types. While the production is getting more advanced with each tour, they are still very down to earth singing in their own accents rather than fabricate an American accent as some country acts try to and “hoping we don’t fuck it up” for their acoustic section which compromised of ‘Cartwheels’ and ‘No Fooling Me’ I don’t think I have heard an audience be so silent (if you can hear silence) with all attention on the stage.

The crowd had a more lively part to play whilst being conducted to sing along with ‘I believe in You’ where the crowd was split into two, great mix of music and panto, Hippodrome over the road for them next December. In all honesty, why not, they obviously enjoy what they do and want the crowd too just as much. They also admirably thanks all the crew before final song ‘Never Know’ recognising these shows are a team effort.

The encore kicks off with probably their biggest song to date ‘Carry you Home’ which gets the rapturous reception you would expect and they end on just the two of them acoustically playing ‘This too will Pass’. Sadly at that point the gig had passed but one we can take away many great memories of. You really get the feeling they are destined to get bigger and bigger, but as the more intimate acoustic moments show they always seem to be grounded in where they started too, which is great all round.

Ward Thomas - Setlist
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Lie like Me
Guilty Flowers
Same Love
Hopeless
Little girl Sorrow
Cartwheels (Acoustic)
No fooling Me (Acoustic)
Deepest You
Ain't that Easy
One more Goodbye
I believe in You
It's not just Me
The Good and the Right / Town called Ugley / Push for the Stride (Medley)
Rather be Breathing
No Filter
Never Know
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Carry you Home
This too will Pass (Acoustic)

Review by Jon Cooper and Photo's by Steve Owen (Icarus Photography)

Check Out! the Video for 'No Filter' Below...