Alt-Country Royalty
The Countess Of Fife (with The Westway Allstars) – Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
8th March 2024
The Countess Of Fife (with The Westway Allstars) – Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
8th March 2024
While there was no question the Harbour Arts centre in Irvine was packed out on a Friday night to see alt-country quintet The Countess of Fife, fronted by the ever effervescent Fay Fife (of The Rezillos/ Revillos fame), it was pleasing to see and hear support act, The Westway Allstars, get a rousing, singalong reception.
But then when you have dual-voices, two acoustic guitars, an electric bass, box drum, home-made 4-string bouzouki and violin leading the folk-meets-Celtic arranged charge of classic covers (including Bad Moon Rising and Pretty Flamingo; hence the mandatory singalongs) you’re on to a Friday night, get the party started winner.
Ah, but how do you get eight musicians on to a stage as small as the one that serves the intimate theatre room of the Harbour Arts Centre I hear you ask?
The answer is you don’t, with said violinist nearly in the stage left audience, which just added to the folk fun and stomp-a-long games.
But then when you have dual-voices, two acoustic guitars, an electric bass, box drum, home-made 4-string bouzouki and violin leading the folk-meets-Celtic arranged charge of classic covers (including Bad Moon Rising and Pretty Flamingo; hence the mandatory singalongs) you’re on to a Friday night, get the party started winner.
Ah, but how do you get eight musicians on to a stage as small as the one that serves the intimate theatre room of the Harbour Arts Centre I hear you ask?
The answer is you don’t, with said violinist nearly in the stage left audience, which just added to the folk fun and stomp-a-long games.
Following that half-hour support set, the The Countess of Fife arrived on stage to the applause of a packed out Harbour Arts theatre room.
The men at the back, a tight and tidy rhythm section of Willy Molleson (drums, harmony vocals) and Al Gare (double bass) looked the rockabilly-country part; Kirsten Adamson (acoustic guitars, harmony vocals) looked every inch the Nashville gal; guitarist Brian McFie, one of the finest Scottish guitarists on the circuit (a player who can turn his six-string hands to just about any genre you care to mention) had a Nashville-punk look that was in danger of upstaging the multi-coloured Fay Fife (aka Sheilagh Hynd, who has the best stage name ever, especially if you know where Miss Hynd hails from and the associated accent).
But it’s nigh on impossible to upstage the charismatic Miss Fife, who nearly upstaged herself by immediately walking into her microphone, thus highlighting the dangers of a small stage and that visually disconcerting moment when house lights go out and stage lights come on ("And I’ve not even been drinking!" was the mic-bumping cry).
Rhythmic, mid-tempo opener 'Wandering Star' (which also opens the band’s 2022 debut album Star Of The Sea) set the alt-country tone, but the subtler sonic shapes, from slightly 60’s styled psychedelia and modern Indie pop to great harmonies (a focal (make that vocal) point of just about every song performed) give the band a highly individualistic, and highly appealing, sound.
Additionally, having Fay Fife’s Roland keyboard primarily set to sound akin to a Wurlitzer fairground organ, gave the song (and a number of more up-tempo others) extra sparkle.
The men at the back, a tight and tidy rhythm section of Willy Molleson (drums, harmony vocals) and Al Gare (double bass) looked the rockabilly-country part; Kirsten Adamson (acoustic guitars, harmony vocals) looked every inch the Nashville gal; guitarist Brian McFie, one of the finest Scottish guitarists on the circuit (a player who can turn his six-string hands to just about any genre you care to mention) had a Nashville-punk look that was in danger of upstaging the multi-coloured Fay Fife (aka Sheilagh Hynd, who has the best stage name ever, especially if you know where Miss Hynd hails from and the associated accent).
But it’s nigh on impossible to upstage the charismatic Miss Fife, who nearly upstaged herself by immediately walking into her microphone, thus highlighting the dangers of a small stage and that visually disconcerting moment when house lights go out and stage lights come on ("And I’ve not even been drinking!" was the mic-bumping cry).
Rhythmic, mid-tempo opener 'Wandering Star' (which also opens the band’s 2022 debut album Star Of The Sea) set the alt-country tone, but the subtler sonic shapes, from slightly 60’s styled psychedelia and modern Indie pop to great harmonies (a focal (make that vocal) point of just about every song performed) give the band a highly individualistic, and highly appealing, sound.
Additionally, having Fay Fife’s Roland keyboard primarily set to sound akin to a Wurlitzer fairground organ, gave the song (and a number of more up-tempo others) extra sparkle.
The band followed 'Wandering Star' with another two Star Of The Sea numbers, the lyrically poignant 'Trapped,' which also carried emotional sweep, and the guitar twang and alt. Nashville vibe of 'Sixteen.'
On the latter, the harmonies from Kirsten Adamson (daughter of the late and still very much lamented Stuart Adamson) counterpointed delightfully with Fay Fife’s deliberately country-accentuated vocal.
If latest single 'Hard Woman To Love' (a harmony laden country-pop number that underlined just how good a voice Fay Fife has) pointed to a forthcoming second album that will match the quality of Star Of The Sea, the other new songs performed hinted at an album that could well be even stronger than the debut.
The dark Americana blues of 'Call Me The Witch' (influenced by female persecution, not just the centuries past persecution of those accused of witchcraft, making it even more pertinent on International Women’s Day), featured a fittingly dark and brooding solo from Brian McFie and an impacting harmony duet outro from Fife & Adamson.
Also making an impact were 'Dark Side Of the Night' (the downtempo indie-pop number isn't as dark as the title suggests however) and 'Take Me to the Grave With a Broken Heart' (a title Adele will be raging she didn't come up with first); the latter is a punchy rockabilly that featured authentic Nashville guitar twang, courtesy of Brian McFie and his clean sounding Fender.
The staccato sharp, psychedelia-country of 'Humans Are a Bad Breed,' the pop-twang and harmonies of 'Don’t Dress Me Up' and the rockier 'Goodbye Motorbike Guy' all reminded of how good an album Star Of The Sea is, as did country-pop ballad 'Angel in My Pocket' and Nashville/ rockabilly brace 'Second Fiddle' and set closer 'Empty Headed.'
It would be an easy nostalgia sell for Fay Fife to pepper the set with a best of The Rezillos/ Revillos to relive those new wave/ big beat/ glamster punk days, so kudos for making it all about the current Countess Of Fife and not the new wave Duchess of decades past.
That said, there would be a Public Inquiry if she hadn’t nodded to that pop-past, and bowing out on an encore of 'Mindbending Cutie Doll' made for a fun end to a great set by a distinctive band with a sound and style all their own.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo credits (all images): Alistair Mulhearn Photography
On the latter, the harmonies from Kirsten Adamson (daughter of the late and still very much lamented Stuart Adamson) counterpointed delightfully with Fay Fife’s deliberately country-accentuated vocal.
If latest single 'Hard Woman To Love' (a harmony laden country-pop number that underlined just how good a voice Fay Fife has) pointed to a forthcoming second album that will match the quality of Star Of The Sea, the other new songs performed hinted at an album that could well be even stronger than the debut.
The dark Americana blues of 'Call Me The Witch' (influenced by female persecution, not just the centuries past persecution of those accused of witchcraft, making it even more pertinent on International Women’s Day), featured a fittingly dark and brooding solo from Brian McFie and an impacting harmony duet outro from Fife & Adamson.
Also making an impact were 'Dark Side Of the Night' (the downtempo indie-pop number isn't as dark as the title suggests however) and 'Take Me to the Grave With a Broken Heart' (a title Adele will be raging she didn't come up with first); the latter is a punchy rockabilly that featured authentic Nashville guitar twang, courtesy of Brian McFie and his clean sounding Fender.
The staccato sharp, psychedelia-country of 'Humans Are a Bad Breed,' the pop-twang and harmonies of 'Don’t Dress Me Up' and the rockier 'Goodbye Motorbike Guy' all reminded of how good an album Star Of The Sea is, as did country-pop ballad 'Angel in My Pocket' and Nashville/ rockabilly brace 'Second Fiddle' and set closer 'Empty Headed.'
It would be an easy nostalgia sell for Fay Fife to pepper the set with a best of The Rezillos/ Revillos to relive those new wave/ big beat/ glamster punk days, so kudos for making it all about the current Countess Of Fife and not the new wave Duchess of decades past.
That said, there would be a Public Inquiry if she hadn’t nodded to that pop-past, and bowing out on an encore of 'Mindbending Cutie Doll' made for a fun end to a great set by a distinctive band with a sound and style all their own.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo credits (all images): Alistair Mulhearn Photography