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The Be Good Tanyas
Saturday 1.55
There’s been a bit of a dispute in the Radio 2 camp this afternoon about how good The Be Good Tanyas actually are. Words like “wet”, “ineffectual” and “namby-pamby” have been flying about, and if we had been fuelled on alcohol instead of soggy pasta from the backstage catering it might have got a bit heated. Are they little more than bluegrass poseurs, or the authentic voice of Vancouver country? It seems the jury's still out.
But they sure do make a purty sound, even if the small matter of a broken washboard denied us the pleasure of the jolly little jug ditty The Littlest Birds, a highlight from their debut album Blue Horse. Perhaps a quick shout around the campsites or the festival instrument concession stands could have fixed that, but there you go.
The first few songs share the same delicate and mellow tone, which hardly raises the roof. It's not until the slightly more foot-stomping Reuben that things become more spirited. Trish Klein leans back dreamily, playing simple banjo rolls while lead singer Samantha Parton hangs on to the microphone shyly. As I found when I saw them at The Borderline recently, it's up to Frazey Ford, on mandolin, guitar and harmony vocals to provide some animation and stage presence. Today a fresh element is added to their performance in the shape of a drummer and local accordionist Martin Green.
In this post-O Brother climate there's a real thirst in the UK for anything remotely associated with old-time, bluegrass or Appalachian music. In the absence of established practitioners of this music coming to perform in the UK we're lapping up the likes of Nickel Creek, She Haw and the Tanyas. It's just a matter of months since their first visit in May this year. But watching them today, as they spent more time bending over to watch their fingers playing than interacting with the crowd I suddenly realised what was missing - unlike the aforementioned Nickel Creek there's no fire in their bellies, and more perplexingly, no hunger to entertain.
Sue Keogh
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All I can remember about the Tanyas is an absolutely superb rendition of In My Time Of Dying, the brilliance of which made me make a mental note that the band were worth keeping an eye on.
Steve G. Davies, In His Front Room
The review of The Be Good Tanyas' performance was very unfair. I have had the opportunity to see the Tanyas twice on their current tour and my only disapointment was that they did not play long enough to include all of the music from Blue Horse, although we were treated to some great new tunes. The songs that were played had many things such as charm, emotion, great lyrics, depressing lyrics and witty lyrics. When required they also rocked it up with the best of them on Light Enough To Travel.
It seems to me that the reviewers comments were focused on a lack of 'personality' on the girl's part, o.k. bring on Britney and let's have some 'real entertainment' if that's what you want, I prefer the Tanyas as they are thanks and if that means they do not 'communicate' with their audience because they are laid back (shy even?) then that's also fine by me because the music stands on it's own (ever seen Bob Dylan?). By the way please check your facts, the names were right but their roles were completely wrong, so how good was your performance today!.
Neil Weatherhead, Stratford-on-Avon
You were totally wrong about the Be Good Tanyas, who were, along with Rory Mcleod, the highlights of another excellent festival. Maybe the pleasant surroundings of the Radio 2 area had dulled your senses, perhaps if you had been out in the weather like everyone else you'd have realised how good they really were. Plus they were even better on the sunday, in the rain, on the Radio 2 tent.
Stuart Ackland, Oxford
I thought Sue's review was spot on - everybody's entitled to their opinion, and in mine, this bunch of over-hyped chancers are just another example of the record industry jumping on the bandwagon. If O Brother hadn't been a success we would never have heard of them. Okay, so they're talented, but don't have an ounce of the charisma which Rhonda Vincent showed last year. It's like they've taken bluegrass lessons as a college project and now its time to deliver their thesis. Give us a break!
Andy Mason, Chelmsford
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