Dan O’Farrell & the Difference Engine
Heartbreakers, Southampton
24th January 2026
The sold-out launch gig for The Fish That Learned To Drown album was an inspirational event, says Ged Babey, and ‘I’m sure I’ve seen that bloke somewhere before’.
Dan O’Farrell & the Difference Engine have always been a decent, dependable ‘local band’- Nice blokes, neat songs. With ‘The Fish..’ they have somehow gone-up-a-gear to the point of turbo-charging themselves and blossomed into a truly great band who stand as equals to the world’s best ‘country-influenced indie-rock bands with a social conscience’ -insert name of your personal favourite here.
For much of their existence, the band have been Dan, singing and playing guitar, Rick Foot on double-bass, and Chris Walsh on drums – a pretty much acoustic trio – with intelligent songs and an almost skiffle-y sound.
But they have transformed into a full-on electric band with the addition of Rufus Grig on keyboards and a pedal-steel guitarist who also beefs up the sound on second guitar. He looks familiar somehow. Got it! He’s the spitting image of that bloke on The One Show and Rogue Traders.
Opening the night was Charles Bueller from local kick-ass indie-sleaze rockers Dead Freights playing a solo set of very quiet new songs. He is a skinny wastrel in the mould of the young Libertine Pete Doherty. The songs had a Sinatra jazz feel with a touch of 50’s twang and included some great lyrics about a girl who’s ‘in a mess, and you’re wearing that dress / and I’m gonna get you out of both of them’. Bueller taking a Day Off from his band (yes!), proved he has a future as a smokin’ lounge singer if need be.
(Apologies to Jack & Bas – I missed most of their set socialising with punter-turned-promoter Mr Steve from the Good Mixer and Leyanne from Interesting Wallpaper whose launch I had missed the previous week, and others.)
Enter the Difference Engine, dressed in matching black and looking sharp, the audience reception was huge. Unflappable Dan was visibly taken aback. People had heard the album, I guess and knew this was gonna be special.
I’m pretty sure they played all of it, in order, and it sounded stupendous. Kudos to Isaak the soundman – the sound was pristine. The songs sounded immense live, and Dan’s voice was stronger and deeper-sounding than on the disc.
Every song hit home. Chris Walsh showed what a master of restraint he has been over the years by walloping those drums. Rick Foots basslines slithered and thunked beautifully. (I’ve never really understood why they used a double-bass rather than a bass guitar – but it does all make sense now – it gives The Engine a different sound to other bands – a different kind of texture and groove.)
Rufus is an accomplished musician, and his input cannot be understated. Reviews of the album have mentioned Bowie, but it’s not Dan’s voice, so it is possibly the same sort of effect Mike Garson’s playing had elevating Aladdin Sane that Rufus has had on The Fish…
The pedal-steel playing on a couple of songs was absolutely superb too – Dan plays the parts on the album but drafted in an old mate called Matt from his days at Manchester Uni to play them live. Adding a second guitar to the other songs gave them a full-on ‘stadium-sized sound’.
Asbestos Love was a particularly stunning version, but, as I said in the album review, it is the big singalong choruses to Goodbye and the title track which carry the songs into classic, lighters-aloft territory.
Reviewing the gig in In-Common, my mate Darren said this:
The same can be said about the title track The Fish That Learned To Drown. Another slow burner that builds into epic proportions with its repeated line, “It’s easy to be swept away by hurricanes.” On both occasions, the steel guitar playing is absolutely sublime. The sort of thing that had it happened in a field full of 20k music fans would be talked about for a long time.
….Before insisting that the album deserves a Mercury Prize nomination. He is dead right, it does.
A stunning performance in front of an appreciative audience of friends, family and fans – such a great night to launch an indisputably brilliant record. Local heroes don’t cover it anymore. Absolute heroes do.
~
I couldn’t help staring at the new guitarist, Matt, as he walked past me on the way out.
‘Allwright?’ he said quizzically.
“Yes! That’s him! That’s who you look like!”
It was him. TV’s Matt Allwright. Dan’s old uni mate and a damn fine guitarist.
~
BUY The Fish That Learned To Drown from BANDCAMP
Full DOF&TDE back catalogue on Bandcamp
Facebook – the band Facebook solo
All words Ged Babey
A Plea From Louder Than War
Louder Than War is run by a small but dedicated independent team, and we rely on the small amount of money we generate to keep the site running smoothly. Any money we do get is not lining the pockets of oligarchs or mad-cap billionaires dictating what our journalists are allowed to think and write, or hungry shareholders. We know times are tough, and we want to continue bringing you news on the most interesting releases, the latest gigs and anything else that tickles our fancy. We are not driven by profit, just pure enthusiasm for a scene that each and every one of us is passionate about.
To us, music and culture are eveything, without them, our very souls shrivel and die. We do not charge artists for the exposure we give them and to many, what we do is absolutely vital. Subscribing to one of our paid tiers takes just a minute, and each sign-up makes a huge impact, helping to keep the flame of independent music burning! Please click the button below to help.
John Robb – Editor in Chief
