Kindred Spirit Band/ The Wood Demons 15th February 2026
Kindred Spirit Band and The Wood Demons at The Camden Club 15th February 2026
I was slightly late arriving at the Camden Club, So I missed the first few number from Kindred Spirit Band who were playing a shortened version of their album The Journey Within, I joined them at the The Light which was most evocactive with great flute and laterrely a more electric section, This was followed by Into The Woods which was a longer song with lots of interesting sections most noticeable were the keyboards of guest Rick Staffin who was pulling double duties Today as he is usually the keyboard player for The Wood Demons,
This was followed by The Lost which has a very merry melody and some chunky guitar and a reel type sound, This was followed by the epic and very memorable Rise Again then The Mountain and Finding My Way this had Stevie Mitchell electric cello playing which was truly splendid.
This led us to The Lake, The Stuckfish character and the truly gorgeous Angel Wings that Elaine wore, That illuminated when raised and opened, really spectacular and visually impressive.
The final song from Kindred Spirit was The Way Home, This way a very atmospheric number with more fine flute playing from Stevie Mitchell.This song also had a reprise of the Rise Up chorus and chant which was a cue for some audience participation which everyone really embraced! An instrumental section followed before the song returned fully with the Rise Up Chant again this song closed their set to strong applause but oddly no encore even though one was planned (The Crossroads)
I Rely enjoyed Kindred Spirit set although I thought the Wood Demons were supporting so to discover that they had the extended set was a real pleasure and suprise to me.
Next came The Wood Demons the set opening with guitarist Simon Carbery asking if it was OK to start a little earlier as they were ready to kick things off with the opening track from In Rabbits And Corners, I Told You I Will a song about a dream that Simon had about refugees crossing the channel, it was a fine opening song that had the audience fully on-side with the band throughout, This way followed by a brief solo piece from Violinist Naomi Belshaw entitled Interminable Beige Thing she was able supported by Rick Startin keyboards, this was followed by my favourite Wood Demons song Arithmomania which is about composer Anton Bruckner and his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in which he would count various things from to twenty and hundreds and thousands and more, i was taken with this song when I first heard it and it still fascinates me today several years after I first encountered it.
Simon then says that today they will cover much of the new album In Rabbits And Corners, They will also perform older songs many penned by bassist John Silver and an epic track from Rick Startin
Angels Of Peckham Rye follows and is very bass driven with strings violin sections here the band are Fire all playing intensely and different parts that fuse together to make this a most memorable track this track is based on a dream that William Blake had as a child where he saw Angels in Peckham Rye.
Next song was being performed live for the first time in 9 years (Poor Traumatised You) from. Their debut EP
They remember it well and it has come a long way since their first album/EP The Last Domain in 2017.
This song was actually new to me but really enjoyed hearing it - I bought the EP afterwards to complete my collection of Wood Demons music as you do.
Final song Nothing Between Us And Heaven is a lengthy one lasts a week as Simon quips, It certainly would have been a whole side of an album, For sure It has 4 sections but above all it a gloriously noisy and yet highly entertaining song
John uses his fuzz bass most effectively here and when Rick switches from keyboard to guitar the sound is cohesively splendid Simons guitar shines through too making this a very special song indeed .The final part of the song captures Ricks love of Northern Italy with its poetic lyrics,
It is a wonderful track very emotional and with great depth,
Encore was Underground Rivers another John Silver song as has much of the set been this one has dual guitar and violin lines to commence, this has ascending guitar and violin lines which sound most impressive to these ears, Simon adds slide guitar fills to this song before naomi takes flight once more, the song is not overlong but ends the set on a strong note.
Also must mention the great sound of the band and the impressive playing of Drummer Ed Kontargyris whose played wonderfully throughout the entire show.
Author John Wenlock-Smith