Live: The Breath at Trinity Centre, Bristol

Frontwoman Ríoghnach Connolly and guitarist/producer Stuart McCallum commenced the show with the moody ‘Ditty’, a short acoustic guitar and vocal motif which gently opens their latest album, as the rest of the band were poised to lead into the rousing ‘All That You Have Been’, beginning the show in earnest.

Audiences responded eagerly as the band worked their way through a mix of new and older material, with the recent addition of Sam Vicary on bass working in great partnership with the unique drumming style of Luke Flowers to enhance the groove on songs such as ‘Antwerp’ and ‘What You Owe’.

As ever, Ríoghnach established a strong rapport with the audience between songs, tempering the more serious chat about themes of slavery, the lost art of ‘keening’ for the dead, and ‘parental perpetuation’ with her trademark humorous outbursts, even heckling at the security guard as he passed along the front of the stage.

One of the night’s most emotionally charged moments came in the powerful vocal delivery of ‘Let It Calm You Down’, a ballad from the new album dedicated to her partner Ellis (‘the Welsh Adonis’), Stuart McCallum and John Ellis underpinning the touching lyrics with a gentle acoustic guitar and piano backing.

Towards the end of the set, ‘Will You Wait’ and ‘Hide Out’ brought a more reflective tone before the band finished out the night with live favourites ‘This Dance Is Over’ and ‘Tremelone’.

You can catch the band as they continue their tour throughout November in Brighton, Nottingham, Manchester and Sheffield— full details available are available here.