This Is The Kit. The Cheese & Grain, Frome 17/08/2024.

When I wrote my Glastonbury review a few weeks ago I said that I didn’t think 2024 had been a vintage year musically. Well, I think I was being a bit unfair by saying that because I missed lots of great acts on the various stages because I didn’t make the effort, or was too tired to go and see them. People just don’t realise the long-distance walking that is involved going from stage to stage across the vast site. On the Park Stage alone for instance, I missed seeing Fontaines D.C, Dexys Midnight Runners, This Is the Kit, The Mary Wallopers, The Breeders, Lankum, Arooj Aftab, Johnny Flynn, London Grammar, and Baxter Dury. These are all acts I am sure I would have enjoyed. The Avalon Stage also had a great line-up, but I didn’t visit it at all. I especially wanted to see This Is The Kit because a friend had recommended them. Anyway, to cut to the chase, a few weeks ago I saw that they were playing at The Cheese & Grain in Frome, so I bought a ticket to partially make up for the Glasto disappointment.

I also thought I ought to get acquainted with their music and bought a CD called Bashed Out which was released in 2015. I chose that album because I read that it is regarded as their breakthrough album and had got rave reviews. It was produced by Aaron Dessner of The National who are another band I missed seeing at Glasto this year, although I have seen them before and thought they were great. The album certainly wasn’t just ‘bashed out’, it is excellently produced and grows on me with every listen. I also enjoyed watching on video a concert they played at the outdoor Minack Theatre in Cornwall which you can find on youtube. I should explain that This Is the Kit is the alias of singer-songwriter Kate Stables, as well as the band she fronts. Her family and friends call her Kit. The other members of her touring band are Rozi Plain (bass), Jamie Whitby-Coles (drums) and Neil Smith (guitar). Rozi also has her own band and a successful separate solo career.

The Cheese & Grain is my favourite local music venue. It has become quite famous in recent years with the likes of Paul McCartney and the Foo Fighters having played pre-Glasto warm up gigs there. In the last couple of years they have also added a very pleasant outdoor bar area which is where I met up with my niece Katherine and her friend Annie who is Kate Stables sister. There was a support performer playing called Izzie Yardley, but I was quite content sitting outside in the fresh air talking to Katherine, Annie, and other people. One fan of the band who I spoke to recommended a recent album called Careful of Your Keepers, so I resolved to buy that one at the merchandise table later if it was on sale.

At just before 9.00 we made our way indoors. It was a standing gig, and the hall was packed with people, it was hot and sweaty inside in contrast to the cool evening outside. Kate Stables jokingly described it as a ‘hammam’ gig. I was expecting some gentle folk rock but was surprised how loud the band were when they started playing. If you are expecting me to give you a setlist then you will be disappointed because I don’t have a clue what most of the songs were called. I loved the sound they make which has elements of what some people would call psych folk or freak folk, but I don’t know how Kate would describe their music. They slightly remind me of Devendra Banhart and at times the whimsical songs of Vashti Bunyan, also possibly an influence of Joni Mitchell. Rozi is a great bass player, and I love the guitar sound of Kate and Neil. 

Kate has a very likeable personality and seems totally devoid of rock musician ego. She told lots of amusing anecdotes in between the songs. Also, I’m not a great fan of banjo music, but when Kate played the banjo, she made it sound like nothing I have ever heard. They had played at the Green Man festival in Wales the day before and are playing at the Beautiful Days festival today. It must be really tiring with all the travel and performing, I don’t know how they do it, but last night in Frome they played a fabulous set of high energy music. I filmed one of the quieter songs Goodbye Bite which you can see below. I don’t think my filming really does them justice, but it might give you some small idea of the evening. I had to make a sharp exit at the end because my taxi had arrived, so I didn’t have time for the merch table, but when I got home Katherine messaged me to say she had bought me the CD I was after. I’ll tell you all about that when I have given it a few listens. Thank you very much to Kate Stables and This Is The Kit for a wonderful evening in Frome.