The Handsome Family - 2 September 2022

Another of the much delayed gigs, this was a bit of apunt as I didn't know their music too well and it was a new venue. The venue turned out to be a disappointment, no character, no nice bar area, uncomfortable and very hot. The gig also a bit underwhelming. First up was a weird but funny singer songwriter who played an electric piano and sang downbeat songs. The Handsome Family seemed a little ill at ease, mainly because the singer and rhythym guitarist Brett Sparks was not well - he obviously had a virus of some sort and was not a happy bunny. The music was interesting and enjoyable. The lead guitarist was a mixed bag - early on I found him a bit jangly on some songs but he played some great stuff towards the end particularly on 'Far From Any Road' and the following song - 'Owls'. The drummer was good and With Rennie Sparks playing some harmonious stuff on banjo or bass the overall sound was excellent on most songs. Enjoyable but could have been better.