Words by Ed King
On Sunday 1st November, The Staves play the O2 Institute in Digbeth – with support from Gabriel Rios.
Doors open at 7pm with tickets charged at £16 (advance), as promoted by Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig info & online sales, click here.
Birmingham Review last saw The Staves a year ago, back in the (née HMV) O2 Institute’s Temple Room, as the Watford sisters were prepping us for their sophomore album. If I Was eventually got released into the world a few months later, strangely missing the 2014 Christmas bun fight, and boasting a ‘so hot right now’ collaboration with Bon Iver founder/front man, Jason Vernon.
As last autumn’s stage shows were the first introduction to The Staves’ new material, ushering in February’s point of sale and marking a shift away from the prominent close harmonies that defined Dead & Born & Grown, we were “guinea pigs” for the evening. A bit nail nibbling, but in the end some serious and impressive stuff came off stage – with the Staveley-Triptych retaining a clear identify, whilst taking confident steps from their new studio. I used a lot of thunderstorm metaphors.
And now a year older, wiser and probably more tired, The Staves come back to Birmingham – performing again in the upstairs Temple Room and again on a Sunday. No rest. Go figure.
Hitting our city as part of their UK autumn tour, with the If I Was flag leading the charge, The Staves are still out there pushing their aforementioned follow up – displaying a work ethic that’s either impressive, obsessive or self flagellatory. Or maybe they just really like hotel rooms. Or Little Chefs. Or maybe they’re Tyler Durden. Anyway, there are five bonus tracks on If I Was if you buy it this time around.
To read a Birmingham Review of If I Was by The Staves, click here. And for a more audio/visual introduction, watch one of the album’s highlights performed live:
‘Make it Holy’ – The Staves
The Staves perform at the O2 Institute on Sunday 1st November, with support from Gabriel Rios. For direct gig info and online ticket sales, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/listings/upcoming-events/20621/the-staves-2/
For more on The Staves, visit http://www.thestaves.com/
For more from the O2 Institute, including full event listings and online tickets sales, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/
For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/
