Field Music

The iconic Ipswich venue The Baths made full use of Independent Week with a variety of acts and ended the week with a full crowd for Sunderland-based Field Music.

Field Music were headlining The Baths and being new to Ipswich the five-piece band have certainly gained more fans as they enthralled us with their indie/rock/pop tracks.

They have been around for 18 years and there were a mix of tracks playing old songs and their new ones and all were enjoyed by the audience. The heavy drums with the melodies from the guitars were creative and pleasing, it’s always nice to hear some decent and melodic guitar riffs.

A talented female keyboard player who added so much depth to the music, not only with the range of sounds, but her backing vocals and melodies were wonderful and no wonder she sang the lead for a track. This set the band apart from other male dominated indie bands in my opinion.

There was an underlying funky feel, then some blues and folk and rock sprinkled in. They were a mix of The Feeling with The Squeeze, Talking Heads, Fleetwood Mac, plus more, and with a track inspired by Lionel Richie’s ‘All Night Long’ they gave a good party feel too.

A very tight band, brilliant musicians, combined with great voices and a wide range of tracks their whole set was enjoyable and their between tracks chat was engaging. They had the crowd’s attention and a great night was had by all.

The support act needed a very last minute change due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control and musician Ben Brown stepped in, with not even time to change. Ben Brown was a pure delight! His heartfelt romantic songs telling stories filled with love and heartbreak were charming and lyrical: ‘Can you pass me a tissue as I’m about to cry’, were accompanied by wonderful melodic guitar playing. His beautifully toned voice had a large range and his soprano was enchanting. Ben also entertained the crowd with his anecdotes between songs, this guy is warm, personable, naturally funny and incredibly endearing.