The live music at this venue is confined to a rather small room on the top floor, and equipped with a rather small stage for the bands. The size of this venue, in no way, reflected the quality of the performances that evening. The audience were awe struck by Dawn Kinnard’s amazing voice and technical ability on guitar, and impressed by the music of ‘Let’s Tea Party’. The band I came to see, however, was Tom Williams and the Boat.

Tom Williams and the Boat have a lot of confidence, showing no sense of nerves before heading to the stage, and comfortably enjoying the acts before them. They have this confidence for a reason; their music is incredibly tight, combining guitar, bass, drums, harmonica, keyboard and violin with precision. It is very comforting for a listener when every element of the band is at the right level, and every element complements the other. It is rare that a violin in a band is used to its full potential, often only adding a bit of flare here and there, but the violin in Tom Williams and the Boat is fully exploited, an important part of the music, and is played beautifully by the talented Geraldine Holton. There are moments when every instrument comes together in this band to produce a sound, which evokes a state of euphoria akin to the times I have listened to Sigur Rós.
Two main things could have detracted from the performance; the absence of the keyboard player, and Tom’s loss of hearing in one ear. But there was no detraction, songs were played with energy and control, and though the keyboard can add a support, these musicians can competently support themselves. 
They opened with ‘Jazz Singer’, a lethargic and catchy tune, and closed their performance with ‘Train Station Car Park’, a song full of energy that was evidently felt by the audience; this shows the diversity they have to offer, and it is commendable how they manage to use their sound and style to create a variety of moods.

Tom Williams and the Boat came together and evolved from Tom’s previous solo work, and I am thankful they did. Tom Williams captures reality along with a strong personality in his song writing, which is enforced by the rest of the band. He has a great voice and plays guitar and harmonica with a quality to match, every member of this band is a fantastic musician.
It is difficult to describe what music a band plays when they are so unique, so I leave it up to you to listen for yourselves.

Check them out at www.tomwilliamsandtheboat.co.uk