Paper Aeroplanes Live Review

 

Paper Aeroplanes- Live Review- 10/11/2012

By Rachel Lily

Despite having a reputation for being as old and sleazy as Bruce Forsythe, ‘The Louisiana’ is instead filled with a combination of 300 socially awkward students, loved-up couples and Christmas-jumper wearing oldies all squeezed so tightly into the tiny performance room with so little air that one fart could kill us all. Thankfully the former didn’t occur.

I overhear people talking about “that one time, at Hay-on-Wye, when ‘Paper Aeroplanes’ silenced the crowd” and wonder how it’s going to happen tonight seeing as the support act, Ivan Mount, could barely be heard over the over-excited and overly-drunk audience. But then the Welsh, folk duo, Sarah Howells and Richard Llewellyn, started playing and it became obvious how.

Suddenly the whole audience became silent, whilst the hauntingly sweet vocals poured out of Howells like honey. Starting with not-so-well-known ‘Days We Make’ from their upcoming album ‘We Are Ghosts’, it almost became awkward, with people not being able to join in with the words or sway. But the tension was broken by Howells, who looked over to Richard lovingly on the line “it’s you who spurs me on, and it’s you, the days we made”.  Perhaps it was a solemn start, but, as Howell reminded the audience, “we don’t do happy songs, only faster sad ones”.

This was the cue for the guest band members to join in, drummer Ryan Aston and double-bass player John Parker, who injected the much needed boost of energy to the set list. ‘Singing to Elvis’, ‘We are Ghosts’ and ‘My First Love’ got the crowd moving, singing a long and even clapping at times.

But the mood was soon toned back down with the classic tracks ‘Winter Never Comes’ and ‘Save It’ where again, the room fell silent, with couples starting to hold hands whilst the singletons wipe their tears remembering they came on their own.

Having spent the night chafing shoulder to shoulder with strangers, it was almost a relief when Howells asked for requests before ending. Once she’d batted off the cries to take her top off, the audience finally settled on the much loved ‘Newport Beach Baby’.

It was never going to be the most excitable night, with explosions and laser beams going off, but it was moving and personal, which could’ve only ever been achieved in such an intimate venue with such a faithful audience.