Benjamin Wetherill
Live at Cardigan Arms on Wednesday, 22nd November 2006
Smashy bang. Quite a few gigs on tonight and I decide to go see Leeds' best dressed gentlemen and a bag load of bands he has decided to grace the Cardy Army with.
It's stuffy and table/chair based with a quarter capacity turn out upon entering. I park my body near a window to watch kids fighting out side McDonalds and suddenly my attention is drawn to tonight's first lancing of hot live audio. Idiot Savant. The Idiots carve a clear picture of gentlemanly style with the traditional waistcoat n' trouser combo and cut the air with a ferocious amount of indie whaling. Reminiscent of the Mary Chain but with a bit more kick, catchy tunes and less hair. Highlight is "High beams" which is a song about swinging a woman from some high beams for a bit.
The High Plane Drifters take to the cockpit of musical performance next. Sadly there are no planes and neither of the 2 members seems to be high. It's soaked in blues from the outset with a confident dancey, dancey front man who launches himself from side to side of the stage whilst still being able to perform the standard blues scales we have all come to know. I do like it, but it's making me tired (or that could be the six barrels of cider). A barking blues two-piece, confident and keen to perform with a punch.
Benjamin Wetherill is last up and makes to the front of the audience with his guitar, chair and Guinness all nice and close up. Unplugged (or even plugged in) Ben is a quiet type, but this all adds to the performance and his style. Wetherill's softly sung voice is more than enough to get anyone into a bit of a quiver. Delivering his arch-folk in a somehow personal one-to-one manner of ways you feel taken back and affected by anything sung in your direction. He is all about creating a moment live and that's exactly what he does. Get your missus/man, 2 bags of chips, a candle and one of our bens records and see what happens. Probably sexual.
