It’s the sheer sense of enjoyment that Bonny Light Horseman have in each other’s company that is the key takeaway from tonight’s performance at The Roundhouse. As a band, their comradeship clearly runs deep.
Much has been written about “the power of three.” It has something to do with the evolution of the brain and how much easier it is for humans to grasp the concept of ‘threes.’ The power of three is also supposed to be one of the oldest and most effective principles in the art of communication. The principal triumvirate of Bonny Light Horseman have proven to be a magical collaboration since their inception in 2018, and unlike the orchestral performance at the Barbican last year, were back as a five-piece at the Roundhouse last Monday, comprising their core members – Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, Josh Kaufman – with the addition of JT Bates on drums and Cameron Ralston on bass.
It’s a measure of how confident Bonny Light Horseman are in their latest record, Keep Me On Your Mind/See You Free, that it formed almost half their set list tonight. The remainder comprised about half of the songs from their self-debut and second album, Rolling Golden Holy.
Keep Me On Your Mind/See You Free was written over just five months last year, and the sheer creativity and exuberance that formed the genesis of its songs—recorded in the comfortable environs of Levis Corner House in Ballydehob, Ireland—are more than amply replicated in the iconic surroundings of the Roundhouse tonight, with its excellent acoustics.
The band’s entry is preceded by the incantatory, hypnotic strains of Bob Dylan’s ‘All The Tired Horses’, which feels like a suitable way to begin tonight’s show. It’s followed by the title track of Keep Me On Your Mind, whose initial, stately opening gives way to Mitchell and Johnson’s vocal interplay – a key feature of so many of their best songs, wrapping their voices around each other as though in a big hug. Eric Johnson takes over as lead for the follow-up, Lover Take It Easy, and its vocal “oohs” result in an infectious refrain from the audience. The band switches effortlessly to The Roving, one of their most expressive numbers, with Mitchell taking a clear lead with her soaring vocals. A more anthemic approach follows with I Know You Know, and its feel-good mandolin-laced arrangement, while Eric switches to banjo for Exile, as he does for several other songs such as the breezy, bluegrass-influenced Hare and Hound.
In a set that saw no drop in quality throughout its ninety-minute running time, special mention should still be given to their rendition of Black Waterside, perfectly capturing Bonny Light Horseman’s ability to reinterpret a traditional standard in a modern idiom. At the same time, Tumblin’ Down has the whole band firing on all cylinders – leading Josh to say that he thought it was probably his favourite time ever playing the song. We were then informed that the next song had a sing-along component in Rock The Cradle, which had the rapt audience only too happy to oblige.
If there are any minor quibbles tonight, I wish Josh Kaufman had been afforded more opportunity to demonstrate his musical prowess. However, the prodigious nature of his guitar playing was still shown to stunning effect on the solos featured on Fleur de Lis and See You Free.
The last section of their set begins with California, the band’s first West Coast song about pulling up roots and new beginnings, before switching gears for Old Dutch‘s slower, contemplative notes.
While Anaïs Mitchell demonstrates a degree of theatricality with her expressive hand movements, there’s nothing flashy in terms of the stage set-up; for the most part, it’s just the three principal members of the band circling each other – effortlessly creating a natural groove. Much has been made of Bonny Light Horseman’s improvisational approach to songwriting. However, if you’ve yet to witness them in the flesh, it’s still hard to underestimate the extent to which this seemingly ad hoc approach works so well. Also, given that so many of their songs run something of a bleak gamut of subjects such as domestic strife (Tumblin’ Down), the fragmentation of long-term relationships (I Know You Know), infidelity (The Roving), unrequited love (Black Waterside) – and their concluding two numbers, the sacrifices of motherhood (When I Was Younger), and a slain lover (Bonny Light Horseman) – you feel that no one should be having as much fun as they appear to in performing these songs. Still, it’s the sheer sense of enjoyment that Bonny Light Horseman have in each other’s company that is the key takeaway from tonight’s performance at The Roundhouse. As aband, their comradeship clearly runs deep. You can clearly see there’s no ego with this trio, and at their best, you almost get a sense that they’re forgetting who is playing what part, and they just melt into the music – a true blurring of the edges and of the self.
Three really is a magic number. However, to merely describe Bonny Light Horseman as just a three-piece would underplay the fact they’re a proper quintet tonight – and it would be remiss not to recognise the excellent contributions made by JT Bates on drums and Cameron Ralston on the bass.
Also, a big shout out to Bridget Kearney, who opened proceedings earlier, performing songs from her solo albums and her band, Lake Street View. Somewhat unusually for a solo performer, she played with just a Hofner bass guitar. Her quirky, whimsical songs, which covered subjects as diverse as the joys of solo living and the self-care industry, provoked a warm response from a receptive audience.
Bonny Light Horseman Setlist
- Keep Me On Your Mind
- Lover Take It Easy
- The Roving
- I Know You Know
- Exile
- Blackwaterside
- Hare and Hound
- Magpie’s Nest
- Jane Jane
- Your Arms (All The Time)
- Tumblin’ Down
- Rock The Cradle
- Fleur de Lis
- See You Free
- California
- Old Dutch
- Comrade Sweetheart
- When I Was Younger
- Bonny Light Horseman
- Encores: Deep in Love, Cold Rain and Snow