Words & Photography by Lexi Goodland
Other than to enjoy the music from two of Falmouth’s home-grown musicians, FARE and James Scarle, I attended this event with the intent to snap a few photos and pay enough attention to then later construct a well-written and informed review. I can honestly say, as soon as the evening kicked off, that was the absolute last thing on my mind; I have never attended a gig and been completely and utterly mesmerized from beginning to end.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a fast-paced gig where the energy levels are through the roof and there’s so much going on onstage and people are dancing and sweating, but there is something magical about a gig like this one, where it’s just about the musician, their guitar, and the music they are creating.
FARE and her opening act, James Scarle, both gave performances I can only describe as angelic – quite appropriately termed I think seeing as the event took place in a church. The venue was incredible and created an ambience that perfectly complemented the music. And the acoustics were unreal. Every note sang and played literally bounced off the walls around the room and melted into my eardrums.
James Scarle opened the evening with a beautiful performance. A huge part of the music scene in Falmouth, James is involved in multiple bands, most of whom I’ve seen perform a number of times before, so his talent wasn’t news to me. But I’ve only ever seen him play a solo set once before, so I was really looking forward to hearing him play alone again – he did not disappoint. Since the first time I saw James perform I’ve thought him to be an incredible musician, and this evening only reinforced that. A faultless and melancholic performance of beautiful guitar loops, drones and haunting lyrics.
The main act of the evening was the lovely FARE. FARE is the solo project of Falmouth graduate, Christina Smith, who is also a big part of the music scene down here and is involved in a number of other musical ventures as well. This night was the launch event for her newly released 8 track album ‘Through The Walls’.
As if I wasn’t already blown away by the opening act, FARE got about two bars into her first song and I already had goosebumps. Her simple and stripped back stage presence was nothing if not mystifying and the perfect way to showcase her talent. A set full of ambient loops, effortless vocals and emotive, ruminative lyrics, FARE immersed the audience in a dream-like atmosphere that had me feeling like my insides were turning to liquid. A truly enviable musician who, very recently, supported Ben Howard for the first three shows of his European tour. Clearly I am not the only one who thinks this girl has incredible talent.
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