The Paper Kites Bloom In Kentish Town

by | May 5, 2024

The O2 Forum Kentish Town is unexpectedly packed for a Tuesday night, even to the point where the secret balcony standing area and boxes have been opened. While The Paper Kites have won fans for over a decade for their warm and intimate take on indie folk, with the seed of their success planted in their native Australia and spreading across the world, it’s mostly the Americana scene in the UK which has embraced their sound. This could be the night where all that changes. As vocalist Sam Bentley points out, this is their biggest show to date in their career.

The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum

The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum (Daniel Caceiro)
The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum (Daniel Caceiro)

They accomplish a lot in their show of two halves, to put it mildly. From the second the dim lanterns rise behind the eight musicians precisely spread across the Forum stage, a hush instantly falls. They build an atmosphere of watching fireflies on a church porch in an imaginary village somewhere in the nostalgic south, the lap steel slowly bursting into the crescendo of Between The Houses. The heavier bass tones of Till The Flame Turns Blue creates an enduring elegance which endearingly misses steps as it sways into your mind. Bentley’s a very understated frontman, and speaks in a matter-of-fact tone between songs. Usually, The Paper Kites are a five piece, he explains, but tonight they’ve recreated their Roadhouse Band, formed when they took over a ‘ramshackle venue’ in small town for a month to record their most recent album. Hurt So Good is wistful and seasoned with sunlight, its eerie lushness cut through with banjo, but it’s their more melancholy tracks which have drawn the crowds tonight. “We have a lot of very sad people that come to our shows,” remarks Bentley, “[and a] lot of couples, a lot of lovers come to our shows.” It’s easy to see why a song like Nothing More Than That attracts such an audience, with it’s colder duet adding haunting layers to an already ethereal melody.

At the halfway point of the show, the lights dim and the Melbourne-hailing troupe abandon their instruments. They cluster round a solitary mic like a bluegrass cliche to deliver their breakout hit Bloom. It’s a touching and personal moment that propels us back to their origins with a rush of luscious vocal harmony, their plaintive hope carried through the whole arena like mist.

“We don’t just play pretty folk songs, we really rock n roll sometimes,” Bentley had explained, and he means it, to a given value of ‘rock n roll’. When the last note of Bloom has faded, the chairs are cleared away with theatrical efficiency and they burst into June’s Stolen Car, all smudged shades of Tom Petty meets Kurt Vile in the murmured vocals and chords that stretch to the sky. Without Your Love’s punchy callbacks are softened by Christina Lacy’s shared vocals and a crashing guitar melody like a landslide, and Good Nights Gone flows like a light cotton take on the Springsteen sound, assertive, wistful and lovely. The Tom Petty influence is deeper than you’d first expect, emerging in the bluesy guitar grooves of Black & Thunder. ‘Any Big Thief fans here tonight?” Bentley asks before leading a full band cover of Anything. As one, we drop into an awed silence, the reverent backing vocals just slightly out of sync before the bass bounces and rolls away into the aural landscape.

The Paper Kites know where their strengths lie as they huddle again around one spotlight and microphone to close on Paint. They want to leave us with a memory that’s gentle, the lonely town that they evoke scaffolded by their own show of unity. The ‘pretty folk songs’ which characterise The Paper Kites’ music are delicate in their loveliness, and we’re left in no doubt that while tonight is their biggest show so far, there’s much larger spaces in their future.

  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum
  • The Paper Kites @ Kentish Town Forum

Review of The Paper Kites at the Kentish Town Forum on 1st May 2024 by Kate Allvey, photography by Daniel Caceiro.

The Hives Are As Ferocious As Ever At The Hammersmith Apollo

 

Hot Water Music @ Roundhouse (Nick Allan)

Hot Water Music Heat Up A Cold Evening At London’s Roundhouse

There are punk shows, and then there are Hot Water Music shows where sweat, heart, and community all melt together into something bigger than just a gig. When the Common Thread Tour rolled into London’s Roundhouse, it wasn’t just another date on the calendar; it felt like a celebration of everything punk rock stands for: passion, honesty, and a damn good sing-along.

The Kooks @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

The Kooks Announce Huge UK Outdoor Shows For Summer 2026

British indie favourites The Kooks have announced a run of major outdoor concerts for summer 2026, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their era-defining debut album Inside In/Inside Out.

The four-date run will see the band take over some of the UK’s most scenic open-air venues, kicking off at Delamere Forest, Northwich on 17th June, before heading to Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Live at The Piece Hall, Halifax and Bristol Sounds at Canons Marsh Amphitheatre.

The Damned @ Alexandra Palace, 20/04/23, Rockshot Magazine, Pauline Di S.

The Damned Announce Emotional Tribute Album Not Like Everybody Else Honouring Founding Guitarist Brian James

British punk pioneers The Damned have announced details of their new album Not Like Everybody Else, a powerful collection of covers recorded in tribute to the band’s founding guitarist Brian James, who passed away in March 2025. The album is set for release on 23rd January 2026, marking both a poignant farewell and a full-circle moment for one of the most influential bands in punk history.

The Molotovs @ Electric Ballroom (Derek D'Souza)

The Molotovs Deliver Message Of Hope With Sold-Out Electric Ballroom Show

Rising British rock outfit The Molotovs took over Camden’s Electric Ballroom a sold-out show that cemented their reputation as one of the most exciting young live acts in the country. The gig came just days before the release of their new single Rhythm Of Yourself, out 31st October via Marshall Records, as the teenage sibling duo aim for a remarkable third consecutive UK No.1 physical single.

Courting @ Oslo, London (Charlie Harris)

Courting Share Deluxe Version Of Third Album ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story, Or: Lust For Life’

Liverpool four-piece Courting release the deluxe edition of their acclaimed album, How to Thread the Needle and Come Out the Other Side to Tell the Story, Or: ‘Lust for Life’, out now via Lower Third Recordings.

Henge performing at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea (Simon Reed)

Matthew C. Whitaker Unveils Dreamlike Solo Single ‘Lucid Dreamer’

Best known as the magnetic frontman, guitarist and songwriter for space-rave pioneers HENGE, Matthew C. Whitaker steps...
GUV (Victoria Prestes)

GUV Announces New Album ‘Warmer Than Gold’ – Out 30th January

Guitar pop visionary Ben Cook — formerly known as Young Guv — has announced his new album Warmer Than Gold, set for release on 30th January. The record marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Cook’s long-running project, now simply known as GUV, and arrives with the vibrant lead single Let Your Hands Go.

Sophie Grey (Maximilian Stafford)

Sophie Grey. Reimagines ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ Ahead Of London Dates Supporting Sting

Rising electronic pop artist Sophie Grey. returns with a dazzling new take on Video Killed the Radio Star, reworking the Buggles’ 1979 classic into a lush, synth-driven dreamscape. The single — out now — arrives as Sophie prepares to open for Sting across three London shows later this month as part of her global Middle of October tour.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing