It was with an open mind and one clog firmly on the accelerator that I journeyed with Big Sair on Tuesday evening to watch The Staves at the rather wonderful venue of The Tabernacle in London’s Notting Hill. What I might call, I decided on reflection, the perfect Mrs Mackerel gig destination. A good start. And we even made it in time.

The Staves are three sisters – Emily, Camilla and Jessica – who hail from Watford. And their star is most definitely in the ascendant, with a growing reputation for the sheer beauty of their soothing melodies and beautiful harmonies. Folk it most definitely is.

The set opener was Motherlode, the up tempo title track from their EP released last month. Up tempo in the most gentle of (s)way, yet these sublime harmonies belie the often darker subject matter of their songs. I was left wondering if genetic synchronicity aided it all. Maybe.

They mixed it up beautifully, from the pared back simplicity of Wisely and Slow, Icarus and (my favourite) Facing West, to the more fulsome sound of In the Long Run and Tongue Behind My Teeth – and the crowd absolutely loved it. The Staves could have played til the sun came up and we would have remained rapt.

Even the between song banter had a bit of bite (“this song is about someone we really hate”). Ha, you go girl; bet you had them quaking in their shoes. This really was one of those rare instances when a band is great on CD, but live they’re something else. Go see if you can.

For this evening, all is right with the world.

[Who took these photos? They’re shite! Turn me into fish fingers.]

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