In an epic two-day, three-show run in December 2022, Black Country, New Road packed Bush Hall, London for an unconventional gig they filmed “for a future project.” For many fans, this was the first time hearing BCNR perform without former frontman Isaac Wood, who departed from the band last year due to mental health issues. Instead of one of the members stepping into Wood’s shoes, BCNR has taken the uncommon approach of performing without a single lead singer, flawlessly succeeding where others have failed. The talented musicians rotate lead vocals and play a wide variety of instruments, with May Kershaw on piano and accordion, Luke Mark on guitar, Charlie Waynes on percussion, Lewis Evans on saxophone and flute, Tyler Hyde on bass, and Georgia Ellery on violin.
A heavily edited performance incorporating elements of all three shows appeared on YouTube in February 2023, serving as a manifesto for why the band doesn’t need a lead. The first song of the night, “Up Song,” gives Hyde a turn at bat as she huskily declaims the meta line, “Look at what we did together / BCNR friends forever.” Kershaw’s piano and Mark’s guitar back her up, with Evans answering them on saxophone. The power of the band clearly lies in these synergistic interactions between the musicians, not a single superstar vocalist.
When the six-piece band plays together, they create raw emotional moments through honest lyrics and on-stage chemistry. The highlight of the night, “I Won’t Always Love You,” with Hyde taking lead vocals, exemplifies everything that BCNR has to offer. She sings haltingly with a heavy vibrato as she conducts a quiet Evans on flute and Ellery on violin. The remaining members join in after the bridge, reaching maximum volume with core-shaking minor chords that underpin Hyde’s shattering last line: “I won’t always love you.”
BCNR has made other changes besides losing their lead singer. During this performance, they stray away from their post-rock roots and experiment with folk-oriented sounds. Kershaw channels the ethereal vocals of Björk while Hyde plays a bowed bass for “The Boy,” a traditional Irish highland tune. Kershaw switches it up again in “Turbines,” a piano ballad about the mourning and transformation the band experienced following Wood’s departure. Ellery brings in her violin to add another layer of depth and her warm string sound supports Kershaw as the singer reflects on how Wood’s absence has encouraged her to “Learn to fly by yourself.”
Despite the quality of the performance, Wood is clearly missed. At the end of the set the camera pans to the band members sitting at a table drinking wine beside two empty chairs. One belongs to May, who is still playing the piano, but the other is “Reserved for Hubert Dalcrosse,” a pseudonym for Wood. Though still mourning the departure of their friend, BCNR’s show at Bush Hall demonstrates their desire to go on without him, their ability to experiment with a range of styles and create exceptional music without a single lead singer.