Review: The Virtues at The Bromfield Arms

Oct 29 2008 Chester Chronicle

THE VIRTUES/The Bromfield Arms, Hoole, Chester: 25.10.08

REVIEW/by Grahame Rhodes

FOLLOWING on from a brief visit in January, last year, the excellent Swedish band, The Virtues, brought their big guitar hooks and vocal harmonies to the area for two gigs, including The Bromfield Arms in Hoole, Chester.

The band – Per Bergkvist (vocals and guitar), Per Westling (aka Flammen, guitar and vocals), Fredrik Jonsson (bass and vocals) and Jesper Andersson (drums and vocals) – are based in Stockholm, and have produced two excellent albums, influenced by the likes of Big Star, The Posies and The Kinks, to name but a few.

In my humble opinion the band are well equipped to be playing in grander venues, but with the dates arranged at short notice it was a treat to catch them live again in Chester – big thanks to Clive Faulkner, unofficial British tour manager – for this, and to Barry Forbes at the venue.

Two fine sets included a mix from the two albums – “Ruminate” and “Where Were You?” – and several new songs from a forthcoming third release, which should be out early in 2009, when the band secure the best possible deal available for it.

Highlights were many of the “Where Were You?” tunes, from the opening “Modern Fallout”, and the great “A Good Day To Be Out”, with its Neil Young feel – lovely chiming guitars and vocal harmonies; “Enjoy My Downfall” with its catchy-as-hell chorus, and yet more layers of guitar and fine vocal from Per Bergkvist – great stuff indeed!

Lead guitarist Flammen is quite an exceptional player and the night contained some glorious solos from him, backed by Per Bergkvist’s rhythm work. A couple of new songs which stood out were “Call Me If You Need Me” and the very Kinks-sounding “Follow” – with a guitar lick very reminiscent of “Waterloo Sunset”.

The fifteen song, two set show, ended with a brace of encores demanded by the small, but enthusiastic crowd – “Blowing Over”, and a dip back into “Ruminate” for “Is That So?”, to round off a most enjoyable evening.

The band hope to return in the spring of 2009, hopefully on the back of their third album, they come heartily recommended – definitely a band to keep an eye on in the future!