A morning of blizzards had given way to a sunny spring-like afternoon and a clear evening - it seemed destiny was smiling on The Candle Thieves who had chosen this day, and a small venue in Stamford, to make a rare live appearance.
The Candle Thieves are a duo - Scott McEwan and "The Glock" - who describe themselves as being from the "sleepy suburbs of Cambridgeshire" (read Peterborough) and have been together for around 14 years. In that time, they've built up quite a cult following.
Having only heard a few of their studio recordings, and read a handful of hard-to-find reviews (not all of them overly favourable, unfortunately and I think very unfairly - more on that later) I wasn't quite sure what to expect. A Guardian article from 2010 describes them as playing "beautifully winsome indiepop on Toytown instrumentation", while a more recent review describes a song from their sixth album as a "pop gem".
The evening started with a heartfelt performance (piano and vocals) from a man who goes by the name The Glock (real name Anthony Shiels), and who happens to be one half of The Candle Thieves. He plays solo under the name Glove Compartment. I only heard a very short part of this set, unfortunately, but enjoyed the sparse but emotive song-writing and intense playing style.
Ross Stewart then took to the stage with his acoustic guitar, and treated us to a pretty varied repertoire of covers and originals, ranging from folk to blues. Ross is an 18-year-old Scottish born singer-songwriter, now based in Norwich; I've only found out his age while writing this and am retrospectively very impressed with the maturity and skill with which he performed.
Although all of Ross's set was all engaging and delivered with honesty and aptitude, I much preferred when he played his own material. It better showed off his natural vocal talent, which seems well suited to a gentle-edged folk style, but also sounded great in his blues-influenced songs - this is a genre Ross obviously loves. 'Tangerine Sunset' was a standout for me, a moving ballad accompanied by beautifully lilting finger-picked chords.
As for The Candle Thieves, well, the guys clearly don't do things by half.
It didn't take long for me to warm to them. Scott exuded joy and honesty from the moment he appeared on stage (I had met him briefly earlier as he stood in to check tickets on the door), with Shiels (Glock) giving off equal measures of positive, magnanimous vibes from his keyboard. The gig was a rare live performance from the duo, coming off the back of their latest single, 'Becoming Wendy'. It was a sell out show, filling the arched underground space of Mama Liz's Voodoo Lounge in Stamford with a cheerful mix of locals and some clearly ardent and long-faithful fans.
This was a packed set, with lots to think about, and no time to worry about taking notes. I recommend
this review by Chris Perry at Grapevine for some details I may have missed. But a highlight from the set for me was 'San Francisco', which was deceptively powerful, centred around the lyric "hey, wait", (almost like an incongruous nod to Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box'); it's a song from their 2020 album 'A Visitor's Guide to Normal'.
I can see how this band could be misunderstood for all surface, no feeling by a casual listener; sure, some of the songs may be light at first glance, but there's a lot lot more to them. Take the thoughtful and thoroughly inclusive 'Becoming Wendy' - their latest single, for example, with its strong, unwavering message of diversity and living your best life. 'Flowers for Peggy' and 'My Love Will Clap Its Hands For You' were entertaining, with a deeper undercurrent that was there for those who wanted it. And 'Stars' (released back in 2010) was utterly moving and magical, the duo coming out, right to the middle of the audience, with guitar and glockenspiel. Genuinely intimate.
And then there were some more obviously deep, philosophical moments too, which felt all the more emotive when juxtaposed with those lighter numbers. 'We’re All Going To Die' was the closing song, and the final line Scott delivered from stage. It was a bold way to end a set, and with many bands this would simply not work; but somehow they pulled it off.
As I alluded to earlier, The Candle Thieves' music has not always been well received by "the critics". But I think it's all to easy to criticise this type of band without stepping back and considering what's behind it and where it's come from. When experienced live, the quirky songs and relentlessly earnest, positive messages are transformed to a new level. The props -- the balloons, a beachball, a flare handed to a random audience member -- feel natural when they come from these people, and from a desire to directly connect with the people who have come to see them.
The set piece birthday joke (Scott talking about how he felt bad last year for missing Glock's birthday, but "not this year" - cue a rendition of 'Happy Birthday' from the room, before Glock muttered gently, "it's not my birthday ...") was well timed, and delivered with sufficient self-effacing humour not to be annoying. It was just two friends being themselves while we got to watch.
The band clearly don't care about the critics in any case - for the past years, they've kept on doing their thing, writing songs and building a core following of like-minded people with whom they've obviously connected deeply.
And perhaps this kind of honest, self-effacing and joy-centred positivity is exactly what we all need right now.
Date of gig: 10 March 2023. You can find Ross Stewart on Soundcloud and Facebook. The Candle Thieves are supporting Darren Hayes on four dates of his forthcoming UK tour. Tickets are available online now. You can follow the band on Instagram and Bandcamp, and find Glove Compartment online, too.
