Gig review: THE BLACKHEART ORCHESTRA – Talbot Hotel, Oundle, 21 September 2023

Reputed to be haunted by the ghost of Mary, Queen of Scots, the upstairs room of this Northamptonshire hotel has its own magic, the delicate lighting and warmth more welcoming than unsettling.

With their ethereal and involving soundscapes, The Blackheart Orchestra were the perfect band for the venue, bringing their own bewitching charm to a night full of blissful and pulse racing highs and lows.

At times bordering on the melancholic, it’s easy to be swept away by the duo’s music as it playfully dances between shafts of sunlight and the shadows, Rick Pilkington and Chrissy Mostyn weaving aural tapestries that break down the walls between worlds.

Opening with the spiralling majesty of ‘Raise Your Heart’, it’s fascinating to see the duo bringing layer upon layer of sound as the stand between banks of keyboards and guitars, deftly switching between them as the vocals spin their own spell.

With a smart use of their instruments and clever arrangements, the glistening promise of their recorded work is translated to breathing life that brims with soul and heart. A whisper that could fill the Royal Albert Hall, and indeed has, their kaleidoscopic material easily shifts from the triumphant and vibrant to such beauty that would make angels weep.

The urgency of ‘Drown Me Out’ and fragility of ‘The Tide’ provide stark contrast, each showing a dazzling grasp of the ebbs and flows of the human condition as the two musicians paint pictures of ominous skies and velvety rolling fields.

This contrast is put into stark relief when Mostyn warns in the velvetiest of voices “my love is a dangerous thing”, opening hearts up to many different possibilities before the glorious sweep of ‘Under the Headlights’ brings things into sharper focus.

Featuring heavily, tracks from latest album ‘Hotel Utopia’ make up over half of the set length but when they spring the ten-day old creation ‘Better Than Me’ on the audience it’s vibrant tribal feel mixed with a rocking staccato bass pattern points to new horizons to come.

The whole is mesmerising and at times jaw dropping wonder is the only way to respond. From the multi-faceted ‘The Warning’ through to the plaintive ‘Dust’ and the jaunty ‘Sebastian’, the nearest the duo have come to writing a pop song, the set is captivating both visually and aurally.

Closing with an epic ‘The Flood’ that manages to blend Kate Bush with Pink Floyd, there was just time for the encore in the shape of ‘Hey Pluto’ to seal what for many was a transformative night.

Whilst the ghost seemingly didn’t make an appearance, it’s certain that The Blackheart Orchestra brought a spiritual experience to all present, their soulful and timeless music an incandescent thing of aching beauty. Sublime.

Review by Paul Monkhouse

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

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UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)