Admiral Fallow at King’s Place

Scottish folk-rock band Admiral Fallow first made their mark on the music industry in 2011 with the release of their debut album, Boots Met My Face. Since then, they have seen their fan base grow steadily and remain faithfully loyal, despite a three-year break as mentioned by the lead. Admiral Fallow are taking to six different cities on a UK tour throughout the autumn months, stopping off first in Sunderland and following closely behind with a show at the Kings Cross venue, Kings Place. With an excitable and engaging crowd, the evening was set to be a good one.

The band made their entrance onto the stage in a simple manner, dressed in casual clothing that invited everyone in on an intimate experience. Indeed, the show felt almost like sitting in the living room of some friends, with a few showcasing some music and the rest listening intently with glued eyes. Unassuming on the outside, the interior of Kings Place takes your breath away when you step inside. The intimate setting of the venue, with soft blue and purple lighting that lit up the wood-panelled walls, created a laid-back surrounding as the band began with their opener Sleepwalking, a track that takes you on a comforting sensory journey with its gentle guitar picking and soothing storytelling lyrics.

Described as the new Mumford and Sons when first starting out, Admiral Fallow brings a different touch by blending in countless different instruments that you wouldn’t expect to hear played together within this genre. From clarinet to flute to strings, the amalgamation of these brings a breath of fresh air to their sound. The audience really got going when Admiral Fallow introduced Dragonfly. Released prior to the album, The Idea of You, this track was met by cheers and infectious foot stomping. Lead singer and lyricist of the track, Louis Abbott, really hit the nail on the head by describing Dragonfly as “a sun-drenched exploration into how the things that really matter to us change as we get older”.

The band play some other favourites, including the aching, heartfelt Evangeline from their 2015 album Tiny Rewards. Abbott kept the crowd going when there were gaps in between the set: chatting as one would to family or a friend, Abbott had an evident ease on the stage, even cracking jokes with audience members who affectionately heckled in response. This eased the room in nicely for the introduction of some unreleased numbers, something which Abbott teased is always the worst thing to hear at a gig. This included Headstrong, a song which drew in listeners with its steady beat and poetic lyricism, and a repeating of the namesake throughout the chorus despite Abbott admitting they were searching for a better alternative title.   

Admiral Fallow captivated the room with fan favourite Squealing Pigs, one which starts with the beautifully written words “Throw a stone upon the river’s lid / Watch the circles take you home”. The song picks up with a fast-paced beat that again encourages clapping and deep-bellied joining in of singing throughout the room. Each band member stayed mostly in the same spot on the stage, aside from Sarah Hayes on the keys, flute and vocals who excitedly jumped up and down with a fun, electric vibe that added nicely to the more static demeanour of the rest.

The musicians returned to the stage for the encore and took the room by surprise by gathering in a line facing out to the room and performing a soft, acoustic rendition of Four Bulbs. With beautiful harmonies that raised the hair on your skin, this brought a hushed quiet and concentration to listeners and it was impossible to peel your eyes away. The band members clearly felt caught up in this too, closing their eyes and swaying in time. Much to the crowd’s delight, the group played the equally gentle Salt, then brought up the energy again with Tuesday Grey, a record reflecting on an experience experimenting with drug-taking to lose oneself and forget about the countless issues troubling you.

Not a single face lacked a smile as attendees spilled out of the venue – it’s safe to say the band injected an electrifying energy into the crowd that is sure to have lasted all night long, and something that will have left their loyal fans, as well as any new ones, feeling beyond satisfied.

Emily Downie
Photos: Nick Bennett

For further information and future events visit Admiral Fallow’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Dragonfly here: