Music Editor Barry Fenton reviews BCNR’s performance at the 3Olympia Theatre.
At one point, BCNR was a group of 7 musical virtuosos from Oxford who gained critical and popular support still in the middle of their undergraduate degrees. Just a few days before the release of their second album Ants From Up There (Feb 4, 2022), magnetic frontman, Isaac Wood, announced he was leaving the band due to struggles with mental health. Their American tour was cancelled, and the remaining six members had to develop an entirely new set-list for the upcoming summer festival circuit or, as the band’s saxophonist Lewis Evans put it: “We’d be out of a job”.
Coming out of a blustery Tuesday evening in September, the band’s story would have been on the minds of many-a-punter (including myself) as we shuffled into the warm 3Olympia with a moody baroque-style interior to complement the classical and whimsical direction of the band’s new album Forever Howlong. As the seats filled, I couldn’t help but notice the diversity of the crowd: fans in their twenties alongside their parents, leaving you guessing who had introduced whom to the band.
And “Like the new road built out of Black Country ground,” out walked the sextet on stage to their distinctive choice of Star Wars (Main Title) music, cracking straight into the new album’s fantastical title track. May Kershaw composes, tucked in the corner behind her keyboard, while the rest of the band follow intently to her swaying hand, guiding them through the minimalist arrangement. The vocalists Tyler Hyde, May Kershaw, and Georgia Ellery had all learned to play recorders to bring this vision to life, resulting in a composition that is both delicate and intricate.
They followed this with Two Horses, an Aaron Copland-esque ballad that comes crashing down, seeing the track’s protagonist robbed by bandits and her horses murdered by her lover. There’s a theatrical fun to the show, with Georgia, May, and Tyler acting as a chorus to one another, each song unfolding as a different episode in the musical narrative.
It is worth noting, however, that a few sore necks were likely to be felt the next morning thanks to a slightly awkward stage layout. The left portion of the stage remained surprisingly empty, while May was tucked into the right corner, almost out of view for much of the audience. One could forgive this imbalance, though, considering the band’s history of squeezing six or seven members onto the tiny stages of South London venues like The Windmill - a logistical feat that apparently leaves them still adjusting to more spacious rooms like the 3Olympia.
Anyone who goes to a BCNR gig will be astounded by the versatility and musicianship of the group. Each member changes instruments three or four times during the show, with Tyler notably going arco on her bass guitar, and guitarist Luke Mark switching seamlessly between synth, electric, and classical guitar through the middle of multiple songs.
Perhaps the most interesting point in the show came after a dazzling performance of Nancy Takes The Night, when the crowd started chanting “Free, Free Palestine.” In a tense moment, the band appeared frozen, nervously smiling at one another while Tyler tuned her guitar - only slight affirmations followed, as the drummer pounded his bass drum along to the beat of the chant.
Before the last song, Tyler addressed it, saying: “We all see what’s happening before us. It’s just really important that we come together on it.We’re all watching this horror on our TVs, and we just need to be united and use our voices,” to a roaring agreement from the crowd.
By the final song, the band had transformed the 3Olympia into a space of both musical adventure and shared humanity. BCNR is certainly different to what it used to be, but that’s a given. They’ve taken on a more cheery live presence while still retaining the structure and crescendos so emblematic of their earlier approach. Leaving the theatre, it occurred to us that Isaac’s words of a “new road built out of Black Country ground” were more true than ever as the group finds a path forward out of the ashes of its former self.