Paper Aeroplanes – Old Cinema Launderette (Durham, UK – February 22, 2014)

Another fantastic sold-out Launderette Sessions show. This is the second time I’ve seen the Paper Aeroplanes after Jess Morgan and MrWishyWashy himself recommended them to me. I applaud their excellent taste.

That show, in York, was great and eventful – 2 people were thrown out of the venue and then arrested for getting into it with the bouncers. Paper Aeroplanes lead singer Sarah Howells mentioned this at the show, incredulous that someone would be so rowdy at one of their shows.

After seeing them play as a band with full drum kit, electric guitars and effects and double bass, I wondered how that would translate to the launderette. Tonight they opened with Sarah and Richard Llewellyn playing as a duet with just acoustic guitars and their wonderful voices. This gave them a chance to play the folkier, quieter songs from their repertoire and was perfectly suited to the intimate nature of the venue.

Following a short break, they returned with Ryan Aston on snare and shakers and John Parker on double bass.

The songs were still pared back to acoustic instruments and this proved exactly how excellent the songs are, shorn of any effects and adornments. For the entire performance, the vocals, guitars, percussion and double bass – possibly my favourite sounding instrument ever – sounded beautiful.

I especially loved ‘Little Letters’, ‘Red Rover’, ‘Fable’ from last year’s ‘Little Letters’ album, ‘Circus’ and ‘Ribbons’ from the recent ‘Circus EP’, and ‘Newport Beach’ and ‘Freewheel’ from their first album.

Overall, the show was excellent, a great performance with nice engagement with the attentive crowd.