Folk on the water

The Xemxija coastline came alive with the sound of Maltese trio Stalko’s music in a quirky performance by the edge of the sea.

The evening kicked off with a set by Martin McNeil & The Dissidents.

One of the highlights of the evening was In a Hurry, which has become a bit of an indie anthem on the local scene

I will not be giving away too much about these guys, as they will be launching their debut album on September 14 and 15 and I hope to go into more detail then. However, their one-hour performance kicked off the evening on the right note, with the rousing sound of good, clean Americana that had most of the audience tapping hands and feet in appreciation. This set served as a good teaser for what we can expect from their upcoming album and I look forward to hearing more.

A short interlude and it was time for Stalko to take the stage. I haven’t as yet written a word about the venue, so this is probably the best time to point out that through this gig I discovered that Stalko’s music, very evocative no matter what the setting, is heard to advantage under a summery, star-lit sky, glass of wine in hand. When the music is top-notch, the fewer trimmings and the more intimate the venue, the better.

Beachaven offered all these ingredients, with everyone forming a comfortable and spacious circle of tables around the stage. Those who felt like chatting had ample space to do so at the back, by the bar, where they could catch up while still getting to enjoy the music without disturbing anyone.

The stage itself consisted of a platform erected on the water – which somehow added to the charm of the proceedings. After all, the trio is well-known for its unique approach to music, so adding these little quirks totally fits in with the band members’ personality.

On this particular evening, we were also lucky because there were none of the typical ‘Maltese summer’ noises to distract the event. The sounds of Chris Cini’s violin, Mike Stivala’s guitar and Tim Ellis’s piano chords, combined with Stivala’s and Ellis’s vocals, carried beautifully into the night and also delighted a good chunk of the nearby barbecuing crowd.

In my mind I always credit Stalko with igniting my interest in locally produced folk music and this one-hour gig served to remind me why.

The trio infuses a traditional approach to nu-folk with an underlying, cutting edge of rogue sounds and semi-cynical, semi-affectionate references to local lore. This gig brought with it all the usual favourites, including Liquify, Forever and Ever (and Ever) and Simone.

I was particularly happy with the rendition of a track which, they always claim, remains untitled but which has now become known as Man on the Moon. I suspect this name will stick.

There’s a lot that contributes to the musical joy of the piece; the distinctive sounds of Ellis’s harmonica; the urgency of the guitar riffs; the elegant subtext that is the violin; the interplay between Stivala and Ellis... It’s a song of contrasts that tug at emotions.

As expected, one of the highlights of the evening was In a Hurry, which has become a bit of an indie anthem on the local scene. From the softer sound of the guitar and the piano intro, to the glorious crescendo of the violin and the intensity of the vocals as they chime in... this track never fails to keep the audience in thrall and tonight was no exception. If you haven’t yet done so, do check out the excellent, locally-produced video on Youtube.

Stalko is one of the few bands which sounds equally comfortable performing in both English and Maltese and the track that proves this best is Laundry Lady (Il-Mara ta’ fuq il-Bejt). I am particularly fond of the Maltese version; somehow the Maltese language carries that touch more pathos.

For this event they chose to perform the Maltese version – the last track on the set list, which brought the gig to an end on just the right note, with its soft and almost plaintive tunes and introspective lyrics managing to hit a sensitive spot, as always.

Stalko will also be performing at the Sick Fest Festival next Saturday at Buskett Roadhouse.