I was browsing local venues around Birmingham and Coventry for upcoming shows and I stumbled upon ‘Endless Knot’ performing at Taylor Johns. After inviting some friends and basically going out on a whim (it was after all £5 tickets) we headed to Taylor Johns around 7pm on Friday in the hope of hearing something spectacular.

Endless Knot hail from Coventry and so essentially this was a home brew gig. Dave of Endless Knot stepped in at the last minute to perform a solo acoustic set as a support followed by Al Britten. Both played slightly folksy blues music which got the crowd interested but I personally was eager to hear Endless Knot in action, especially after feasting upon the equipment set up already. Dave had some mellow yet beautifully sung songs and Al Britten was equally as good, but I believe the second song in his set list which he described as being “about someone who is expelled from school” was my favourite of his.

Shortly before 10pm Endless Knot helmed their instruments. By the time the band finished I was tempted to write a three word review: Absolutely fucking awesome; I decided that wasn’t very descriptive.

Endless Knot started with the fast paced ‘Solilquy’ with the hook line taken from Hamlet, ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ The unsure and judging crowd quickly began to feel the loquacious power of Endless Knot. Within 3 minutes a bemused and cautious crowd began dancing and shuffling closer to the stage. ‘Soliloquy’ is a folkesque Reggae outfit. It perplexed yet satisfied almost all areas of the audience. The band had the right amount of force and grit under it.

The combination of Folk, Ska and Reggae sounds almost unbelievable. Do not be mistaken! It works on a whole other plane. The only band I think that I have heard that even comes close is the ‘Imagined Village’ project. The fluidity of the songs, the liveliness, the smiles and generally warm welcoming rapport of the band – this was a lethal addictive combination.

Some of the songs that stood out for me included: ‘Roots’ (a heavily Reggae based song), ‘Solstice Moon’, and ‘England’s Soil’. ‘England’s Soil’ took a blend of echoed singing from Dave and Marc through the song. They harmonised and responded to each other brilliantly. Marc also picked up various instruments throughout the night including a penny whistle, a didgeridoo, harmonica and a Darbuka (I believe).

Some terrific playing by the entire band, in particular fiddle player Terry. With an electric violin and pedal board he was creating some wild acoustics and visions with his bowed companion. His wah-wah use on one particular song left me in awe. I have always personally considered violin/cello to be my favourite and coolest instrument, Terry emphasised that.

Both of my friends of the night truly enjoyed the music and the overall originality. For the night, at least, I was travelling on a rugged cruise ship with a folk band playing on encouraging their fellow passengers.

Ignoring some technical issues with sounds and leads (as is typical in a live situation) the night was overall a success. A pretty fair crowd and even a terrific band whom I wholeheartedly wish them all the success in the world! (We also picked up a copy of their album at a reasonably priced £8.)

Endless Knot are a whirlwind of blended goodness. Can’t wait to see more.

8.5/10

Set List:

• Solilquy
• Walk With Me
• He Never Was
• American Dream
• All Tied
• England’s Soil
• Solstice Moon
• Roots
• Point The Finger
• Shadow
• Streets Ahead
• The Weaver

Endless Knot:

• Marc (Didgeridoos, Whistles, Harmonica, Percussion and Vocals)
• Baz (Keyboards)
• Terry (Fiddle)
• Chris (Drums)
• Dave (Vocals and Guitars)
• Johnny (Bass)