Recently I have been delighted to catch up with two of my favourite sets of artists; Blake and Nick Garrett. I have known both for approximately six years and although I’ve not been able to see either of them as much as I’d like lately, this past month I have fortunate enough to see them both.
Ollie Baines, Humphrey Berney, Jules Knight and Stephen Bowman, collectively known as Blake, are currently touring the UK with their Love Lifts us Up Tour. The concert features many of the well-known and best-loved songs from their previous three albums, but also gives us an opportunity to take get a glimpse into the new direction they are going with their forthcoming fourth album.
What I enjoy about Blake’s performances are the incredible harmonies they produce. Whether they are performing a pop song, a ballad or a classical piece, the harmonies have an inimitable quality to them which enhances each of the songs in a different way, emphasizing the beauty and emotion of each piece.
Tracks from their previous albums included; She, Nessun Dorma, Hallelujah, Moon River, Chasing Cars, And So It Goes and God Only Knows, proving that they are equally adept at performing different genres of music both accompanied and a Capella. The choice of songs was also important in that many of the people at the concert were seeing Blake for the first time that evening and so whilst they may have been unfamiliar with the group, the repertoire provided a familiar reassurance. Many members of the audience joined in, encouraged by Blake, particularly in numbers like Up Where We Belong and Jerusalem.
I had been rather sceptical about the direction that the fourth album was headed given that it was to be all original material and more pop based. I have great faith in the musical abilities of the group and so it wasn’t the fact that they were composing songs themselves that worried me but rather that the wonderful harmonies would be lost in the process. I needn’t have worried though as the song Start Over proved, the harmonies are still present and Stephen assured me after the concert, that harmonies will remain very much a trademark part of their music. Start Over is the first song I have heard from their forthcoming album and if the rest of the songs are like this one, then we are really in for a musical treat.
It was also lovely to hear them perform other new material at this concert – new to their repertoire as opposed to new original material. These included the beautiful Billy Joel song Lullaby and the deeply moving Peter Gabriel song Father, Son both of which were sung so expressively that the emotions of each piece combined with the beautiful harmonies made them truly heart-rending. For me, Father, Son which Jules dedicated to those in the audience who had lost a parent really struck a chord in my heart as my father died when I was young. Watching them perform this knowing that Jules had also lost his own father just a year before also added to the poignancy of the piece especially when he sang the words “with my dad by my side”. I am sure that Jules' father would be extremely proud of his son and what he has accomplished and will still be "by his side" watching over him.
What I also enjoy about Blake’s performances is the way they perform as a group – not just vocally but in their support for each other. There’s a real sense of camaraderie when they are together and whilst all their vocal styles and sounds are individual, they all come together to produce an incredible song as a group and no one voice is more predominant than the other. I also still admire the fact that despite numerous tours throughout the UK and abroad and their many successes, they still take the time to meet and greet their fans at the end of their performances and are happy to sign autographs and pose for photos. It’s a sign that they remain grounded and haven’t let the fame change them – something which I know the fans appreciate and love about them.
Blake’s Love Lifts us Up Tour continues throughout the UK at various venues and dates. For more information see their website www.blakeofficial.com or follow them on Twitter www.twitter.com/thebandblake
