More about: The Staves
'This is called a gig, by the way'
“This is called a gig, by the way” – cracks The Staves’ Milly. You get the impression that it’s not just the audience that need reminding. It’s been over a year since the Staveley-Taylor sisters have been on stage together, and it takes them a little while to settle on stage. Tonight’s show at Hackney Church is an opportunity for them to finally play some of their new songs – their fourth album Good Woman arrived in February - and the atmospheric, near-holy quality of much of their recent output is a fantastic fit for this unique venue.
It doesn’t take long for the trio to find their rhythm. New songs like ‘Best Friend’ and ‘Good Woman’ feel truly transformative, with the band’s signature vocal harmonies bouncing off the church walls and through the wooden pews. Meanwhile old faithful's ‘Mexico’ and ‘Eagle Song’ benefit from the intimacy of the setting, providing a soft, sorrowful footnote to an incredibly accomplished performance.
The highlight however is the beautiful ‘Make It Holy’ – a moment in the set which the lucky few in attendance are unlikely to forget. It’s a song that feels like it was written for nights like this, as the band sing “I could make it holy, make it special, make it right” to a sea of mystified faces. It serves as a reminder of just how powerful The Staves’ unique brand of folk can be – and proof, twelve years into their career, or the trio’s enduring quality.
See a gallery of photos from the evening by Katie McLellan Salisbury below:
More about: The Staves
Photo: Katie McLellan Salisbury
