No More Twist

Can you ever get tired of going to gigs? I think I could get tired of rushing out of work, parking, changing in a car park that stinks of stale piss, and maybe of queueing in the cold but I don’t think I’ll get tired of live music.

This was J’s choice and to be honest I think the genre is a bit on the edge of my musical tastes – don’t get me wrong though, I liked her album. I was looking forward to this gig from the moment I arrived at the front of the queue. The rest of the queue was mainly young-ish and female or couples. The queue was small even though the venue was sold out – we realised later this was ‘Carling Academy 2’ ie. the upstairs bit.

After a brief panic, running in and trying to get downstairs to the front of the stage, we realised the stage was basically just in the corner of the venue. This was going to be a really intimate gig! The time passed quickly as we chatted and before long the support came on – James Morrison – a soul singer with a fantastic voice, the looks of a more youthful Chris Martin (can’t have everything, hey) and a four piece band.

They were great, played well together and the sound was really good. I’m not sure if it was being so close to the stage, or the smaller venue, or if the guy on the mixing desk was just really gifted but you could clearly hear all the instruments… no ringing ears afterwards either. The songs were great too and the crowd loved it.

After the roadies cleared the support kit away the stage seemed bigger, but when Corinne and her band came on it was suddenly full again. This was a real treat being so close and with the same great sound. Corinne looked fantastic, petite and completely captivating the crowd as she plucked out the melodies and rhythms gracefully from the air.

The band were fantastic, they worked really well together. The drummer had great flair without taking over the songs. Lead guitar was brilliant – the guy was cool and he knew it! The bass player was clearly having a good time. Keyboards, brass and backing singers too somehow managed to squeeze onto the stage and all added to the songs.

Corinne played most of her album, and delighted the crowd with a Led Zep cover (Since I’ve Been Loving You). She explained she had been in a rock band and had a wide musical taste – and didn’t want to be pigeonholed. This was a real treat. They played the song beautifully and followed with the mainstream tracks from the album that everyone recognised. After that a few quieter tracks before saying goodbye… then carefully leaving the tiny stage, and returning for an encore. It was a well chosen running order that lifted the listener then soothed… I was just so impressed by the sheer quality of the experience.