Balloon

On Tuesday, 10th March, The Folklore Rooms in Brighton will host a performance by Ian Bickerton’s Balloon. This gig is part of a brief UK tour and marks a significant return for the band, who haven't been active for several decades. Ian Bickerton originally gained attention in the early nineties with the debut album Gravity, a project recorded at Daniel Lanois’ studio that featured contributions from Sarah McLachlan. Following that period, Bickerton took a long hiatus from the music industry to focus on his family life, making this current run of shows a rare chance to see the project live again after such a long period of retirement.

The performance centres around the new album, Gas ‘n’ Air, which was recorded in Mexico City. The musical direction of the new material is often compared to the works of Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen, fitting into a specific niche of indie-folk that prioritises atmosphere and songwriting. The repertoire for the evening is planned to include these new songs alongside tracks from the 1992 debut and various unreleased pieces composed during the thirty-year gap in the band's career. It’s a fairly comprehensive look at Bickerton’s songwriting history, spanning from his early career to his more recent work. Some critics, including Luke Haines in Record Collector, have described the new record as a high-quality piece of work, noting its place as a "lost classic" finally being found.

Support for the evening comes from Tim Keegan, who will open the show before Balloon takes the stage. The Folklore Rooms provides an intimate setting for this kind of folk-influenced music, which seems appropriate given the quiet, lyrical nature of the songs. This is a ticketed event, with entry managed through Ticket Tailor. For those who follow the local indie-folk scene or have an interest in the evolution of songwriters who have taken the long way round, the night offers a look at a project that has been largely out of the public eye since the mid-nineties. The event is aimed at those who appreciate classic singer-songwriter styles and the specific history of 90s indie music.