FERRIS & SYLVESTER // THINK TANK?, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Ferris & Sylvester stop in Newcastle for an intimate show at Think Tank?
FERRIS & SYLVESTER PERFORMING AT NEWCASTLE’S THINK TANK? - 20.09.2019
PICTURE BY: | VICTORIA WAI PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★★
Ferris and Sylvester in Newcastle on a Friday night. The crowd packed in tight at Think Tank while another gig was on below and even before the duo says that we needed to be louder than the crowd downstairs we were lapping it up, and throughout the gig two in particular were trying their hardest to outdo Issy and Archie.
Bringing their alt folk blues soul sound, Ferris & Sylvester kicked off the night with the catchy Better In Yellow and bringing in their latest release I Dare You quite early in the set showcases the variety of their sound with the heavy dirty riffs in the chorus. As energetic as the duo are they find time to slow things down a few times with the first time coming with Sometimes. Ferris & Sylvester leave nothing on the table when bringing you their live show. There are guitar changes and Archie even has his kick drum behind him - a nice bit of double drumming as they add Alex Wadstein to the mix on this tour.
There is nothing short of crowd participation this night. Every single body is moving and there’s even some mighty head banging going on in the front row that when Issy and Archie get the crowd to open their arms wide to a hand clap for Burning River it is nothing short of spectacular and the bridge is a like someone brought in a choir. What a moment that even Issy says that the crowd are something else! The ‘choir’ stays with a singalong to Flying Visit. Newcastle is beautifully in tune with the duo as they strip it back to its bare bones with an acoustic guitar and their beautiful harmonies…though half way through one of the most liveliest audience members tries to out-do the duo but the energy is high that nothing could spoil this night. Let’s just say that their crowd interaction on a personal level was very point.
I honestly couldn’t think we could get any more than we were already given in this strong hour or so set but Sickness sees Issy get behind the keys and Archie comes into the crowd sliding his fingers rock star style on his guitar as those close to him are mesmerised. It was a moment of where do you even look as both are simply electric. We could have ended the night there but this is Ferris & Sylvester and there is still room for a few more surprises. From being completely lost in the high energy of the night, they leave the stage and return with a new one called This Is How My Voice Sounds as Issy takes lead and now it is Archie behind the keyboard and we are broken by the beauty and the silence that the crowd gives - a real goosebump moment that you feel a tear rolling down your cheek. And just wait for that instrumental break. WOW!
Could they leave us hanging like that? Thankfully not as the dirty bopping London Blue’s lifts us back up and all our emotions are in check for the night.