Bluesy Americana folk duo Ferris and Sylvester played to a sold-out Cuban Embassy on Thursday, delighting more longstanding fans of their work, and no doubt creating several more along the way. The London-based musicians delighted Moseley with a set made up of both more laid back, folky pieces, and upbeat rock n’ roll style songs with some irresistible guitar lines to match.

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Rather than leaving the crowd constantly waiting for something they recognised, they played their most recognisable tune, ‘Better in Yellow’, second

Right off the bat, Ferris and Sylvester avoided the pitfall that some musicians of their career level make on tour; rather than leaving the crowd constantly waiting for something they recognised, they played their most recognisable tune, ‘Better in Yellow’, second. The surprised, but nonetheless pleased, audience sung and bopped along to the irresistibly catchy folk-pop tune, before relaxing into the knowledge that the rest of the songs, almost three-quarters of which were prefaced by Ferris saying ‘This is a new one’, were going to be a little less instantly recognisable.

Other highlights from Ferris and Sylvester’s set included upbeat, rocky number ‘Burning River’ that included tight harmonies across the board, and a driving, infectious guitar riff. New song ‘Golden’ included bass and guitar solos from Ferris and Sylvester respectively, showcasing their talent on their individual instruments, as well as their ability to work seamlessly as a unit. Sylvester also played a bass drum with his foot throughout the set, something only noticeable to those at the front due to how easily he took it in his stride. During the encore, Ferris took over this role briefly, and quickly proved she was equally capable. Vocals-wise, Ferris’ voice was undoubtedly the stronger and more unique of the two, reminiscent of artists such as KT Tunstall, however Sylvester held his own throughout, and fully justified his place in the duo with his musical prowess and killer harmonies.

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Vocals-wise, Ferris’ voice was undoubtedly the stronger and more unique of the two, however Sylvester held his own throughout

The show was not without incident. At the its start, an Icelandic inspired song was introduced by a ‘contest’ that the duo had been running throughout their tour: which city could sound the scariest. On the count of three, the crowd let out a slightly half-hearted roar, which, understandably, didn’t overly impress the musicians, who had perhaps asked too much of their audience too early on. However, Birmingham’s place as ‘scariest city’ was quickly cemented when a member of the audience, who had clearly had a little too much to drink, started aggressively heckling the duo, before being escorted out in quite a struggle by security. A quick-witted member of the front-row remarked: ‘If that doesn’t get us scariest city, nothing will.’

Ferris and Sylvester closed their show with their new single ‘Sickness’, to which a significant number of audience members were already singing along, suggesting the track is moving quickly online. Its infectious, bluesy feel and catchy chorus made that less than surprising. It’s available for download now on all major platforms, as well as various singles from their growing back-catalogue. The duo is back in Birmingham at The O2 Institute in April, a venue perhaps more suited to their rapidly growing fanbase. Maybe they’ll get a proper roar out of the crowd next time.

‘Sickness’ is available now via Archtop Records. Tickets to see Ferris & Sylvester perform live are available here.