We Are the Battery Human-- An Evening with Stornoway!

A few weeks ago, I discovered that one of my favourite bands from England—Stornoway— would be playing the El Mocambo in Toronto. I was so excited— especially since I was supposed to see them at Glastonbury in June (but I never made it). I quickly recruited a friend to attend the show with me and i made sure I had the next day off, since I knew it would be a late night. Unfortunately, it's cold season, and my dear friend was unable to join me as she was stuck at home in bed, feeling very ill. But I would not let this minor setback keep me from seeing the band whose beautiful melodies and story-telling lyrics I had so often sang aloud in my tiny Renault Clio on the windy, one-way streets of Birmingham, Devon and the rest of Britain.

Why do I love this band so much? Their music is just so beautiful! Some of their music is thoughtful and sensitive, like their folksy ballad 'Fuel Up', which comments on our journeys through life and our perception of how much control we have in our fates. Some of their other songs are perfect for running— with a lively rhythmic beat that gets my heart pounding. And having grown up on my Dad's Rock and Roll, I really love the electric sound of 'Watching Birds', which really hearkens back to the classic rock of the 1960's in England. But besides the catchy melodies of their music and undeniable talent of every musician on that stage, Stornoway's songs also catch hold of me with the poetry of their lyrics. Just look at the lyrics for 'Boats and Trains'! I especially like the last phrase of the song: 'Destined to go nowhere by the fear of unrequited love.' I also love the commentary offered by 'We Are The Battery Human':

'Cause we need to fix out loose connection.
Out in natural World Wide Web.
Where humans evolved in three-dimention.

We were tuned in by natural selection.
And we need to go online each day.
But inside we don't get no reception.

So join the new revolution, revolution!
To free the battery human.'

Gorgeous.

Anyways…

After several fruitless attempts to rustle up some company for the evening, I made my way downtown, first by car, then by subway. I had read online that the venue opened at 8:00… but when I arrived, at 7:50, the street was still deserted. I wasted some time by enjoying a coffee and wandering up and down quite a sketchy stretch of Spadina… only to discover that the venue didn't open until 8:30… at which point they still weren't letting anyone in. I gathered with some fellow Stornoway fans behind a velvet rope and we watched the members of the band congregate on the sidewalk, gazing up at the CN Tower. They soon went off to find some dinner, while we filed into the bar, paid our cover and had our hands stamped.

Originally, I was under the impression that Stornoway was the opening band at this gig, but it turns out, they were the headliner! So unfortunately, I had to stand through an hour or so of another act that wasn't really to my taste. When the first band finished, I quickly grabbed a spot right at the front of the stage, before the crowd pushed in behind me. Band members began setting up their stage, tuning guitars and testing mikes and pedals and such. A couple of them looked surprised at the size of the crowd.

The show began with a lone violinist, who played a haunting intro before the rest of the band joined him for 'Coldharbour Road'. After the second song in the set (I think it was 'Long Distance Lullabye'), Brian Briggs, the lead singer, seemed confused that so many of their fans were singing along. He asked 'How did you hear about us?' I shouted back 'I lived in England!', while the rest of the crowd offered their own explanations. He went on to mention that their last gig was a little lacking.

I stood, dancing and clapping along to every song. It was such a treat to see these talented musicians perform live! They were note-perfect! They played all their big hits, including  'Here Comes the Blackout' and 'I Saw You Blink'. One of my favourite moments of the night was when the band began to play 'Zorbing' and the crowd sang along to every word. I stole a glance at bass player Ollie Steadman, who seemed to be a little overwhelmed that this Canadian crowd (who was supposed to not have heard of them) was singing along so enthusiastically. He was a bit teary-eyed.

We were also treated to two tracks that aren't on the band's album, 'Beachcomber's Window Sill', including a song called 'Beachcomber's Window Sill' and a Welsh folk ballad.

When Stornoway left the stage, the crowd continued to scream, shouting 'Encore! Encore!', creating a deafening din. Eventually, Brian, Ollie, Rob, Jon, Adam (the trumpeter) and Rahul (the violinist) filed back on the stage to play two songs unplugged! I couldn't believe how quiet the crowd was during 'End of the Movie'! We all joined in on the chorus to 'We Are The Battery Human', applauding and cheering loudly at the end.

I made my way to the edge of the stage to meet the band. I was able get my picture taken with Brian, Jon, Rob and Ollie! I chatted to Brian a bit about how the tour was going. He told me that they had had some similar crowds in other cities, but he was very surprised that they had a fan base in Canada. I got to chat to Ollie too (he's the tall, blonde, cute one). We talked about England and how Birmingham and Coventry aren't the country's most beautiful cities. We talked about festivals, too. Ollie told me that another band that are similar to them in style are 'The Villagers', who I checked out (actually, I unknowingly already had this band's 'Becoming a Jackal' on my iTunes… must have been one of those free iTunes songs). They were both so humble and lovely to chat too. I hope they come back and play Toronto again!

In addition to meeting the band, I also met a group of fellow music lovers from near Orangeville. Unfortunately, I had to make a hasty exit from the subway, so I neglected to get any of their names (except for Brad and… Lisa, I think) or email addresses . So, if you are in that group of Orangevillians, and you would like to share some of your videos from that night, please contact me! In an effort to reach these guys, I have tagged this post with anything I can think of that they might one day google.