Beth Gibbons

Venue:

Massey Hall, Toronto

Date: 06/04/2025

I saw her on her first solo-ish tour with Rustin Man more than 20 years ago, supporting the magnificent Out of Season album. Was one of the shortest gigs I have ever seen, they played the whole album, left the stage, came back saying they had no more songs, but then did a version of The Velvets’ Afterhours.

So 20 odd years later she records a (superb) follow up. So twice as much material, and, who knows, maybe the odd Portishead song? Probably not.

First disappointment was that advertised support act Bill Ryder-Jones didn’t make it. The replacement act (didn’t catch their name) were short, dreary and uninspiring..

She has a much bigger band on this tour, 2 drummers/percussionists, a small string section and even one of the percussionists moonlighting on some sort of brass instrument.

Second disappointment it was still a very short show. Barely 70 minutes which was disappointing from a fairly major artist playing in a prestigious venue.

However it was completely magnificent. She has an almost diffident stage presence, addressing the audience only twice throughout and shuffling to the back of thestage to drink plenty of water/tea between each song (maybe she had a mild cold?). But when she opened her mouth a glorious sound came out.

The band were superb, a very percussive sound as you would expect. One slight criticism, perhaps some of the arrangements were a little fussy, especially in the codas and the backing vocals were a little histrionic at times.

She sang like an angel, up there with the greatest live singing I have ever heard. We got the whole of the latest album, plus a mere 2 from Out of Season and one devastating Portishead song “Roads” which got the biggest reaction of the night from a not quite sold out audience. The audience reaction verged on hysteria at times, as if we couldn’t quite believe what we were hearing. Each song perfectly formed and delivered immaculately like a work of art. The audience were extremely well behaved and quet during each song. There was one idiot shouting apparent threats at the end. I think every Toronto concert has one of these

Absolute highlights, Tom the Model, Mysteries, Floating on a Moment, Whispering Love and, of course, Roads. But really it was all wonderful. Too short? Probably, but I got the impression that she gave everything she could.

The audience:

See review. Most probably in their 50s and 60s. Enraptured

It made me think..

She doesn’t tour much, catch her when you can

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