Held By Trees
+ Martin Smith
Entry Requirements: 18+ after 7pm
Not many bands can claim living DNA of their chief influences within their sound, but Held By Trees are one. Debut album, ‘Solace’ features contributions from no less than eight Talk Talk/Mark Hollis alumni, as well as veterans of Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, and Blur. Wide critical acclaim followed, and support from BBC 6 Music and Radio 3.
Held By Trees’ live iteration features guitar legend Robbie McIntosh (McCartney, The Pretenders, John Mayer, Talk Talk), Laurence Pendrous on keyboards (Mark Hollis, Anja Garbarek), Paul Beavis on drums (The Waterboys, Andy Fairweather-Low and the Low Riders, Bill Wyman), Andy Panayi on flute, clarinet and sax (Ronnie Scott, McCartney, Hollis). This line-up found themselves at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in late 2022 recording two new EPs, one of live tracks from Solace and one of new music called Eventide.
2024 sees Held By Trees’ first collaboration with a vocalist, Martin Smith, who is opening the night at this gig. Three new songs were recorded at Real World with him and will be part of the set tonight.
Line Up
“This tantalising project evokes the spirit of latter-era Talk Talk and David Gilmour-led late-period Pink Floyd.” - Classic Pop Magazine
It’s not just in the studio that the band deliver… Dazzling guitar runs and daring improvisation gripped the crowd… New heroes of post-rock/prog have arrived.” - Record Collector Magazine
“A fascinating project.” - Prog Magazine
“Incredibly atmospheric.” - Alt_version
“…Lovely but very different guitar work… somehow sparse but also slightly proggy as well which I know will sound very appealing, almost like a perfect combination…” - Elizabeth Alker - Unclassified, BBC Radio 3
“Robbie McIntosh and a host of other great players who worked with Talk Talk in the Spirit Of Eden era and on Mark Hollis' eponymous solo album regroup to carry the DNA of Mark's vision forward.
It is a resounding success and a beguiling listen.
Highly recommended to all who think Spirit Of Eden is one of the most important records in their collection”
9/10 - Ian McNabb, Musician
“Held By Trees is deserving of close and wide attention…timely, important, beautiful music…” - Under the Radar
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