British Sea Power/’Man Of Aran’  British Sea Power play
soundtrack to ‘Man Of Aran’  This is seriously powerful, emotive
stuff.  I’m sat in the cavernous main cinema of Sheffield’s
Showroom complex for the final event in the city’s fantastic
music/film/arts Sensoria festival. Live on stage, in front of
the screen, with their backs to the audience are one of the best
and most inventive modern British bands- British Sea Power.
They are playing their live sound track to ‘Man Of Aran’ the
1934 semi fictional, semi documentary film by Robert J.
Flaherty. The film is a stark black and white depiction of the
tough lives of the Aran islanders whose stubborn self-
sufficiency and toughness, set against the backdrop of the
fierce Atlantic Ocean makes for powerful viewing.  It’s a
perfect combination- a salty sea stained film about the tough
life on a lump of rock in the Atlantic (most recently the
setting for Craggy Island in Father Ted) and a band that have
made their name in the past decade with three great, highly o