Venue:
The Stables, Wavendon
Date: 26/04/2016
Tonight’s gig kicked off with an excellent set from Astrid Williamson, a Scottish singer who I’d somehow lost track of after her great debut solo album Boy For You, way back in the day. She’s clocked up another six solo albums in the proceeding two decades, and her voice has aged beautifully – deeper, but just as subtly powerful. Her set showed off her knack for writing powerful, dreamy songs, a sound not a million miles away from headliner Kathryn’s.
The two are mates, travelling around for the tour in Kathryn’s VW Polo, with the back seats down to cram in their bags and equipment, staying at fans’ homes and Air B & B – ing it. And they join up on stage too: Astrid returned for Kathryn’s set, to play piano and provide minimalist backing vocals. The pairing works well, their voices really complimenting eachother, and the keyboard adding an extra layer to Kathryn’s delicate guitar work.
But the main event, the pivot around which the evening revolves, is of course Kathryn’s compelling voice. I’ve loved her on record since she’s been making them, but somehow never seen her live before tonight. Her voice, that mellifluous, swirling voice, is a real wonder in the flesh. And as happens so often with artists, the songs open up and reveal themselves properly when listened to live.
Kathryn’s personality glows on the tiny Stage 2 at The Stables (which has a capacity of I’m guessing around 100 people), from the moment she appears. She emanates an easy warmth, with a knack for filling those stage silences (which can be a little awkward in such a small venue) with funny, honest, and self deprecating asides.
In between explanations of the genesis of tracks, she told us how she’d hated herself for turning into an ‘arsehole’ after a ‘hot meal on her rider’ issue (which thankfully didn’t turn into a Jeremy Clarkson punching an underling type of situation), and, when commenting on how hot it was on stage, announced that despite the ‘slimming properties’ of her jacket she was just damn well going to take it off anyway.
The performance was beautifully paced, opening with Underground, her depiction of a panic attack on the Tube (from previous album Crown Electric). But the majority of the set was given over to tracks from her latest album Hypoxia, conceived after Kathryn was given a writing commission to commemorate the Durham Book Festival’s 50th anniversary celebration of the publication of Sylvia Plath’s novel The Bell Jar. (Sample introduction: “Yes, this one’s about two women in a mental institution competing with eachother over who is the most ill. So, my summer Ibetha hit, then.”
Mirrors and old favourite Little Black Numbers were standout songs, really taking flight with some nifty vocal looping. But it was Cuckoo, from Hypoxia, told from the point of view of Esther’s mother in the book, that really blew me away. In the small room, with the audience practically holding their breath, it was fierce and devastating.
One of those gigs, one of those nights, that felt like a privilege.
The audience:
Impeccably behaved. Spellbound. And that was just @dogfacedboy.
It made me think..
Don’t be a numpty and wait two decades for some inexplicable reason before you go and see an artist you really like play live.
Was there any rocking out at all, drakeygirl?
Dammit, I completely forgot to mention the Boston/Bachman Turner Overdrive encore medley.
I’d never heard of Astrid Williamson, so thanks for putting her on my radar.
Kathryn is a national treasure. She has a spellbinding way of delivering a song.
Here they are together. A recording of a soundcheck! That’s a new one on me.
Thanks, @kaisfatdad. Kathryn is fantastic, isn’t she?
Astrid Williamson did this old song (at my request, when she asked if anyone knew her stuff and wanted her to play anything). This was despite me mangling the title:
Oh I’d have loved to hear that – like you I have and really like that early album but lost track of her since. good to know she’s in good form – will look out for her
I told her last night that this sounds like it should be a Carole King / Judee Sill classic composition which she luckily didn’t take as an insult. Devastating
WHIPPING POST!
Astrid was in Goya Dress, who we saw quite a lot in the early/mid 90s (the future Mrs F liked them) including supporting Maria McKee at the SB Empire, and had an excellent album on Nude records produced by Jonh Cale (some nice viola work). Why do I remember this stuff?
I bought the first couple of solo albums but drifted away for a bit, then our paths crossed professionally for a while. I still don’t have her last couple. I must remedy that.
Oddly enough, she’s distantly related to Mrs F’s bridesmaid.
Goya Dress? Never heard of them. More homework to do. That’s not a complaint!
I saw her/them supporting Aimee Mann in Sheffield in 1996, I think.
Bought the album, must listen to it again…
That sound-check footage is bloody lovely. I suspect that Kathryn’s voice has the same effect on @dogfacedboy that Gemma Hayes does on me. It’s that slightly ‘I’m almost asleep but I’m going to sing this, just for you, before I drop off’ quality that, when I’m down, really soothes me.
Great review. Knowing the venue so well I could picture the two of you (assuming Mr Drakeygirl was on sprog sitting duties) in that tiny room (I’ve eaten many a pre-gig meal in that cafe) with it’s pin drop sound. Sounds like a top night. Sitting in bed (still!) with a cuppa, it was a lovely start to the day. And it didn’t make me cough, so double dozy.
Am delighted you enjoyed it so much @drakeygirl. Kathryn really emoted the shit out of the song ‘Mirrors’ tonight, using that negative stuff that happened earlier in the day and releasing it through music.
Kathryn used to have such a hard time playing live, so nervous that she had proper panic attacks so to see this funny, smart and charismatic person emerge over the years onstage is wonderful.
Kathryn & Astrid were kind enough to do a quick podcast when I was at Kath’s writing retreat last week so that should be up at weekend.
They are playing Birmingham on Thursday, there may be a few tickets left but a lot of the shows are sold out.
http://kathrynwilliams.co.uk/live
They were both at Gramophone Armageddon last week, along with this motley band including Tom McRae, Teddy Thompson, Marry Waterson, David Ford, Romeo Stoddart and a slightly lost-looking John Shuttleworth.
Yeah that’s the writing retreat lot – such a lovely bunch of people.
And while we’re talking about Ms Williams, let’s not forget Kath’s exquisite version of this Laughing Len chestnut.