REVIEWS
Teddy Thompson by Iam Burn
TEDDY THOMPSON, ROSEANNE REID @ THE FIRE STATION, SUNDERLAND (20.01.22) Words: Damian Robinson Roseanne Reid (daughter of the Proclaimers’ Craig Reid) starts off this evening’s fine double header with a lovely blend of Scottish folk and Americana country. Confident and poised, Reid’s set (including music produced by Teddy Thompson) is the perfect warm-up as she moves us through tales of personal achievement and regret. Starting off his set with the lovely Delilah, headliner Thompson is a beacon of self-assurance, with his on-stage persona matching the heart of his songwriting style. Humorous, truthful, centred and needing no external approval, Thompson’s stage manner, alongside his songs, are equal matches of heartbreak-to-heartmake, assured-to-broken, humorous-to-serious in a style that sees him confident to tell you his innermost thoughts without regret or restraint. Performing on acoustic guitar, Thompson’s set is supported by guitar whizz kid Zak Hobbs, whose blend of electric rock ‘n’ roll licks and Hank Marvin-styled solos lifts Thompson’s live performance into grand realms. Stand outs Heartbreaker Please, In My Arms and What Now all achieve excellence through a combination of strong acoustic rhythm guitar, great melodic vocals and lovely drips of electric guitar from Hobbs. Pair those features alongside beautiful reinterpretations of his back catalogue and a compelling stage persona, and you have a lovely evening by a wonderful performer.
NORTHERING, ADA GRACE FRANCIS @ BOBIK’S, NEWCASTLE (09.01.22) Words: Ali Welford Bobik’s regulars have had plenty of opportunities to catch Ada Grace Francis over the past couple of years, with the Edinburgh-born, Manchester-based artist having become something of a fixture. Certainly, this harp-only set is her finest I’ve witnessed to date; a sublime Sunday afternoon saunter, regardless of whether she’s interpreting the catalogues of Robert Burns and Joni Mitchell or showcasing a series of elegant originals. A Case of You naturally draws the loudest applause, yet it’s one of her own, the exquisitely slight Red Robin, that’s this illuminating performance’s most radiant moment. By contrast this is my first exposure to rising duo Northering. Fortunately, novelty isn’t enough to mask the sense of a project gathering momentum, as
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Maius Mollis and Anna Hughes mark their inaugural headliner with a comprehensive round-up of their activities to date – from Porquin, the first song they performed together as part of their Newcastle University course, to fresh formative forays into writing as a pair. Their harmonies coalesce beautifully, yet on this evidence it’s sonic craft which sets Northering apart. Upcoming debut single Ghosts is case in point – adapted from a Robert W. Service poem, Maius’s vocal and acoustic guitar are isolated expertly by Anna’s minimal amalgamation of droning harmonium and rumbling and crackling found sounds, united to suitably absorbing, spine-tingling effect. Hushaby, a traditional lullaby honed with a chilling lute sample, likewise displays their skill in transcending folk’s more orthodox contours – hinting at a duo whose prospects as well as creative frontiers show few limits.
ROXY GIRLS, AMATEUR TREPANNING @ BOBIK’S, NEWCASTLE (14.01.22) Words: Ali Welford No matter how often you see them live or hear their records, Roxy Girls never lose their capacity to surprise. Tonight’s headline performance lasts little over 30 minutes, but that’s enough to pack in than more than some bands muster in three to four hours. It’s all but impossible to keep pace with their frenetic art punk nuggets. Even the likes of Responsibilities and Trials And Tribulations – by now staples in the Mackem quartet’s set – are chalked off in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gallop, while their penchant for absurdly swift, abrupt endings ensures their crowd is never afforded the time to settle. All the big issues are covered, from banging sandwiches and trips to Greggs to Takeshi’s Castle. Occasionally, numbers cut out at the precise juncture you realise you’re loving them – a frustration, or a contributing quirk to one of the North East’s most thrillingly unpredictable live prospects? I’d plump for the latter. Having aired his eponymous debut from front-to-back at a clutch of 2021 shows, songwriter Ben Lowes-Smith uses tonight’s support slot as an opportunity to shuffle the Amateur Trepanning pack. It’s bassist Liberty Hodes’ first appearance as part of the backing ensemble, and it’s her looped lines which form the bedrock for these crunchy synth-infused gems, from Bowling Alone And Dying Alone’s winning one-two tonal contrast to Church Hall/Bingo Hall’s immaculately observed sketch of local gentrification. A delight however it’s ordered, it’d be a mighty shame were this lockdowninduced project to prove a one-off.
