I thought it fitting to begin this new blog with some new
music. I first heard Bear’s Den in the sweltering July heat at the London
Olympic Park, as they opened a day’s music at the Gentlemen of the Road Summer
Stampede. I am quite ashamed, as I must admit I did not expect much from this
band. First on the bill supporting Mumford and Sons at 2pm, I anticipated
nothing more than a bit of background music whilst the large audience ate lunch
and enjoyed the rare English sunshine. But, as soon as the band made their way
onto the stage, a crowd started immediately to migrate towards the front. With
my eyebrows furrowed slightly, I decided I would find out what all the fuss was
about.
What probably surprised me the most was how quickly I was
compelled by Bear’s Den’s set. I felt utterly sucked into the performance as
the band played songs from their EP ‘Agape’. The title track to this EP – a
catchy, banjo-led, almost anthemic tune – forced the crowd into singing along.
Despite its melancholic lyrics, the beating rays of Sun combined with its pace
created a semi-joyful message. ‘Isaac’, on the other hand, is more obviously
forlorn and reminds me (ever so slightly) of a Sufjan Stevens’ song I heard a
lifetime ago. ‘Pompeii’, a song that does not feature on the EP but can be
found on Youtube, was by far my favourite of the set, if not simply for its story-telling
that drew me into the lyrics from beginning to end. As I enjoyed the performance I had anxiously
glanced at the time and to my dismay realised their half-hour set was to end. I
did not want Bear’s Den, with all their harmonies and clever lyricism, to ever
finish playing.
Since the Summer Stampede, I have attempted to repent my
previous under-estimations of this band by playing their music almost non-stop.
Listen to 'Pompeii':
