Evenings at the Ellington #2: The Seals

A few months ago, I attended the Fairbridge Festival (read about it here) and was lucky enough to enjoy The Seals when I was down there. In a blitz of festival hyperactivity, I picked up their CD - and boy, am I glad I did. So glad, in fact, that when the opportunity arose for me to attend The Ellington Jazz Club to see them, I gladly took it.

Firstly, The Ellington. This place is absolutely fantastic, and I enjoyed the same food as I did on my first venture to somewhere a little bit different for my demographic. The wait staff are quick, the table set up is great because it allows everyone to see the musicians, and the food is affordable and tasty (imperative for me). We had a great table - one row from the front and slightly to the right of the stage.

I'm not fantastic at describing music ("They're good, I like the beat, um, it's kind of folky but I don't know if I'd leave it at folky…") so I borrowed a quick biography of The Seals from their website: "With its mix of grit, raw emotion, sweet vocal harmonies, occasionally lewd lyrics and a barnshaking live show, The Seals unique blend of blues, bluegrass, and old time music will hit you like a steam train and have you coming back for more". Perfect.

I don't know what it is about this sort of music that never fails to put me in a good mood - it's very different to what I usually listen to (click here/ here if you're interested in some of my past playlists) and definitely not what is popular with my demographic (music snobs who are turning up their noses beware…I have a post aimed at you!). However, something about the catchy tunes and clever lyrics makes this band very fun and enjoyable for me.

With a plethora of covers and originals, the gig started off on a great note with a very catchy song…that I cannot for the life of me remember the name of. Something about blue eyes and baby dolls? I remembered it from Fairbridge and really enjoyed it. There was a section dedicated to bad songs and I have to say, I really enjoyed these covers. 'Kiss Me' is a beautiful (but yes, very corny song) was sung to absolute perfection vocals and a perfected deadpan expression performed by Rob Tomlin. 'Amazing' by Alex Lloyd was changed up a little and fit right into this segment.

I loved the renditions of 'Ramblin' Man' and 'Ballad of Mary Johnson' (winning Derry Doyle an award for runner up Senior Songwriter at the WA Country Music awards) as well as 'Old Bark Hut'. Plenty of murder songs in their set - gave the evening a nice touch. 'Corn Bread and Butter Beans' was another one of my favourites from the night, lead by Tom Gourlay. There was plenty of banter and laughter between the songs, both from the musicians and the audience. Everyone was hand clapping and foot stamping away… and just when we thought it couldn't get any better, it did.

A Taylor Swift cover.

As a bit of a Swiftie myself, I was absolutely stoked when the familiar strains of 'I Knew You Were Trouble' began playing. With Phil Cilli on vocals, this hit was performed slightly different to how we know it, but it was great for a laugh. The Seals plus Taylor Swift - doesn't get much better than that. The gig finished with 'Cecilia', before the audience demanded (and received) an encore of 'Mary's Kitchen' (a lot about Mary that evening).

I was fortunate enough to speak with the lovely Derry Doyle at the end of the gig, when he revealed that a little bit of Taylor Swift jamming is frequent at their rehearsals - more points from me.

The only downside to the gig is, I would have to say, the lack of "Be There Blue Eyes" - the second song on The Seals' EP and one I really enjoyed. I suppose the song is a bit more chilled and laid back, so not as appropriate for a gig such as this, however I did miss it.

With infectious enthusiasm for the songs they were singing, plenty of laughs and a lot of banter, The Seals are as enchanting in their segways between songs as they are in their music. A raffle of incredibly unusual and tacky  interesting goods was a highlight of the evening, with great commentary by Tom Gourlay and Charlie McCarthy, with a bit of piano from Phil Cilli classing it up. The band members aren't afraid to have a laugh with each other, and at themselves while on stage, and the complete lack of pretence makes it much more intimate and enjoyable for the audience. I think one thing that sets The Seals apart from other bands is that they don't just sing their songs and be done with it - they put on a real show, and that's what will keep people coming back for more.

If you're looking for an evening when you can't stop smiling, The Seals are a must see.

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