After a brief break from touring, Babybird are back in full force. I am in a very enjoyable position of joining the band on some of their latest tour dates whilst they support Echobelly across the country at some of the most popular and iconic venues in the UK.
Last week the tour kicked off in Manchester, the hometown of singer Stephen Jones, a nice convenient start to what promises to be a memorable few evenings on the Northern leg. People ask me why this band and their music means so much to me, and it is a difficult question as there are too many answers and reasons. I would urge anyone who (rather annoyingly) only knows them for their ‘biggest hit’ ‘You’re Gorgeous’ to check out the sizeable back catalogue and do a little research.
Whilst the band may have been on a short hiatus, Jones was most certainly not. The volume of tracks released on a regular basis is mammoth, the artistic, experimental pieces inspired by multiple genres has to be seen to be believed, and of course there is his other project ‘Black Reindeer’ which if you are already appreciative of Babybird’s songs, this will also be favourable on the ears.
Known for his acidic, tongue-in-cheek wit, often at the expense of himself, or the band, a Babybird gig is not just about the music. Described by none other than Bob Mortimer ‘His songs can mean whatever suits you best’ and ‘I’m happy to be in his sad company’. The former comment rings true, as his songs are so deep and combine many interpretations, I often leave one of their gigs scratching my head as to what I have just witnessed.
The best kind of music stays with you and haunts you, and there are few songwriters that are capable of doing it on this level, so yes, there are so much more than THAT song, which also, when studied is not a song you should be playing at weddings to declare your undying love, as Jones says himself on stage ‘if you played that at your wedding you are a moron’.
As collaborations go, I was fucking delighted and again emotional when they played what is in my humble opinion one of the most beautiful tracks ever written ‘Unloveable”. I say collaboration as this track featured Johnny Depp, and whilst Mr Depp could not make it to the tour (he remains a massive fan of the band – describing the music as ‘unnerving, and yet oddly comforting’), the song is one that grabs you and does not let go…ever.
The video (also directed by Depp) for this intensifies the lyrics and when I say haunting, it is one that frequently runs through my mind as the multiple meanings are hard to let go of. When I spoke to Jones about this track he said ‘It’s not meant to be a sad song’. But then music is subjective and as Bob said they ‘mean what suits you best’, these tracks fit the narrative of many troubled souls.
After a couple of nights watching this band, with the super talented Danny Lowe on keyboard and Luke Scott on guitar it is safe to say that the band are as tight as ever, a gentle camaraderie between the three and a unique bond that is a joy to watch unfold each evening on stage. I am fairly certain that the band will have gained and continue to gain more fans as the tour unfold across the county, and whilst Jones insists ‘we are not on the scene anymore’ from the reaction of the audience, many who by the end were of each evening were clearly bowled over, I for one beg to differ.
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