Field Music

To some extent Field Music could be the UK's top secret best band. However, it's a shame that the secret is so immersed within our impoverished music industry that the Koko is only about a half full tonight. If you happen upon Marc Reilly's show on 6Music (7.00 – 9.00 pm, Monday – Thursday) you'll know he's been championing them for a while now. And with good reason.

The band, built around the brothers David and Pete Brewis, have been in operation since 2004. Previous incarnations include the New Tellers and Electronic Eye Machine, which no one told me about or used any electric eye technology to alert me as to their existence. But that's my problem and not yours. I encountered this whimsical band earlier on this year at the Green Man festival back in August. After a few days of rain that would make Noah wince, Field Music took to the stage amidst a dry environment and went about their business of putting a smile on everyone's face. It did seem like most people were quite surprised at how good they actually were. There was sociable banter and a band that looked like they had nothing to prove but actually displayed proof of an undoubted fun fuelled talent. They swapped instruments regularly and each change gave a slightly different nuance to the songs. Even if you didn't like the band you'd be taken in by a certain charm offensive.

So, these charming men have now arrived at Koko and once you've negotiated the idea that you need to enter via the first floor and then need to traipse downstairs to the main floor, it's all set up nicely for an engaging evening. As they start there's a feeling that this may be for die hard fans only but a quick look around reveals a lack of any Bruce Willis lookalikes (this is no weather for the string vest brigade) and we're away.

The influences are plentiful but don't distract from any originality that the band possess. There's a snatch of Talking Heads, a snippet of XTC, a touch of 10CC and even a melodic burst reminiscent of Crowded House. This may sound like some sort of middle of the road/indie hybrid and to a certain extent that wouldn't be too far of the mark. But once they hit a groove they leave such influences floundering and are definitely out there as Field Music, the band. To my mind much of the credit needs to go to new addition, Damon Walters, on drums. This guy is a true powerhouse and he augments the songs with a rugged power. Many of the songs encompass stop-start rhythms and huge changes in tine, melody and speed but Damon is well up to the task. His thumping on 'Clear Water' is akin to an indie John Bonham as the band shift gear to a rockier sound. Everything synchronises perfectly on 'Pleasure' and 'Effortlessly' and it starts to feel a bit like side 2 of 'Abbey Road' (The Beatles) with its song-suite montage. This is high praise indeed but this humble and sincere group can handle the intricacies of songs that demand cerebral thinking along with physical dexterity. They harvest a rich vein of pop history in their no nonsense performance but are comfortably situated in a 2010 reality.

So, there you are, a group building slowly and deserving of a larger audience. I read that Field Music see themselves as a company and even have a bank account in their name. They claimed that they would split in 2007 (in an interview for 6 Music) but didn't go ahead with this. They stated that they remain a band (with clear evidence on display tonight) and simply wish it to be known that the band is a by-product of their existence, not their reason for it.

As a name I think Field Music is a little bit naff. Though it's not a better name (and a very bad play on words) 'Peeled Music' may be more appropriate. That way you could see the different layers after each shaving even if you weren't sure where it was all going. Plus they are a band John Peel (the king of Peel type things) would undoubtedly have played on his show. Despite some confused looks in the audience I get the feeling that with Field Music once you get it, you get it. The journey could be fun. All you need to do is be keen on planting some good ideas in the field and watch them grow.

FUTURE GIGS