Though we’ve only played there once before the welcome we got at the Cwmaman Institute has tattooed itself indelibly onto the hearts of Bruise. A super community based arts center, with a lively schedule of events which include a regular Thursday night gig. We had made our life a bit easier by borrowing a PA and we were being assisted by dear friends Peter, Huw and Pip so it was all very relaxed. The set started off on an up with ‘Nobody Else’ ‘Stranger in you’ then settled down with ‘The Prize’ which is turning into a wonderful and understated live track. ‘Silvertown’ ‘Coldburn’ ‘Little Victories’ ‘Alright’ and ‘Jennifer’ was the final track in the first set. This audience had doubled in size since our last visit and the applause seemed to have quadrupled, these lovely folks roared and clapped, I was swept away. The second set started with ‘Excuse Me’ ‘Mr Rat’ ‘3 Ravens’ Which felt monumental, it was a dream to feel the slow build as the track develops from almost unaccompanied vocal introduction to the huge loop, Juno, guitar and drums instrumental outro. And once again, as if performing the song had not been enough for us the audience wrapped us up in a wave of applause and appreciation, enticing Jim and I to better and better performances. At about this point we hit our stride properly. When Jim and I lock in it is the such a glorious feeling for me, my shoulders relax, the rhythm arm is effortless physical memory that builds and falls in a seductive way, I get to sing, really sing, explore the joy of having a voice and using it. And to feel and understand what class Jim has as a musician, how he manages to combine accuracy with emotionality and how this acts as a skeleton for the whole musical experience to hang off. Wonderful, WONDERFUL! So the rest of the set ran ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ ‘Miss Bigfish’ ‘Blueline’ ‘Girls Best Friend’ ‘The Game’ ‘The Northern Line’ – much requested that night and received passionately, ‘I Don’t Like You’ and taaa daaa! The End, except for the encores, all three of them. Thank you people of Cwmaman we loved it and we’re looking forward to coming back!
The Musician in Leicester is a pucca venue that I feel deserved better from us, but that’s just my point of view and I didn’t encounter any one else who felt the same that night. A short set as part of a multi-band night, a delight for me to hear some wonderful guitar work, a young folk band trying out their chops and an accomplished songwriter presenting himself to a familiar crowd. The place was a bit on the quiet side and I was washed out after 2 days intensive rehearsals, so when I look back at our short set I see a low energy and uncommunicative front woman and though we delivered the songs with assurance I am having difficulty reconciling myself with what I brought to the night. Anyway, that’s my problem; I’d like to thank John & Snakeman for their wonderful support, Stevie for the opportunity and everyone who bought an album for trusting what they heard. Mark my words, next time there’ll be a show, Oh Yes!
The weekend of the 22 and 23rd April Jim and I were privileged to be playing an increasingly rare event, a completely unamplified performance, nothing, nada, not an amp, not even a microphone to sing into, Hot Gossip, Henley on Thames, WOW! Under these circumstances I go through a process of sounding out the room, sort of feeling my was around with my voice, getting some understanding of what resonates where and how quiet I can be before I get lost. It happens very fast and with Jim and I both on acoustic guitars we were offering up song after melodic song within minutes of arriving. Both nights were wonderful atmospheres. I was provoked by the intimacy of the set up to talk about the songs in quite personal terms, and that doesn’t happen very often at all. We felt so appreciated it was a delight for us. Thank you to Michael & Lorraine and to all those who came along to these two magical little happenings!
Easter Sunday saw us going back to old home ground in Canning Town and The Bridgehouse II and visiting old friends ‘That Legendary Wooden Lion’. The Bridgehouse II is set in an industrial corner of Canning Town, with a broken window or two, surrounded by pylons, sandwiched in between railway lines a middle class woman like myself might think twice about going in. However I’d be wrong, this venue is SET UP, a tasty house drum kit, all the amps you need, a lightshow that blows me away, friendly staff, tip top PA and a soundman who knows how to work it. We opened up with a short acoustic set on strong form after our recent acoustic outings, then we got to kick back and enjoy TLWL’s wonderful show, the costume changes, the time signature changes, the whole great big prog-ness of it all always makes me feel I’m watching them on a huge stage. After diverse hour long set from That Legendary Wooden Lion we took to the stage to close the evening with the electric duo line up, and frankly we kicked ass. Pumped up by what I’d just seen, pissed off because London Transport had made it impossible for the audience we just let go. Superb. Thanks for dancing, thanks for all the handshakes. We’ll take a bow XX