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THEA GILMORE
Telford's Warehouse, Chester 23 June 2008
Photo: © 2008
David Humphries
For some inexcusable reason this was the first time I'd caught Thea
Gilmore live, despite possessing a fair smattering of her back catalogue.
It was also my first visit to Telford's Warehouse, which must be commended
for its idyllic setting next to the canal, its range of cask beers, its
fine sound system, general ambience and free parking. What more could you
want?
With a capacity of around 100 Telford's was a pretty perfect venue to
discover just how good a live performer Thea Gilmore is. Ably aided and
abetted by long time musical collaborator (and husband) Nigel Stonier on
acoustic guitar and harmonica, and Fluff on cello and fiddle, Thea treated
the (it has to be said, somewhat restrained) audience to a workout of
large chunks of her recently released Liejacker album interspersed with
material reaching back as far as her excellent 2002 Rules For Jokers
album.
Showing no hint of the traumas that have afflicted her life in recent
times - parting with her record company and long time manager, giving
birth to her first child, and bouts of depression, Thea was in fine fettle
and seemed positively relaxed - bantering with 'the band' and the audience
between numbers.
In keeping with the 'back to basics' approach adopted on Liejacker, the
evening was a very acoustic and folk based affair that showcased both
Thea's songs and vocals, but which also served to underline just what a
good live performer she is. It was however striking that the audience was
a good one or two decades older than Thea herself.
Now she probably doesn't mind that (husband Nig fits neatly into that
demographic) but it is a sad indictment of today's record buying public
that artists as good as Thea Gilmore can't attract a more contemporary
audience. All I can do is commend her to you.
Set list: Old Soul / Seen It All Before / Rosie / Dance In New York / You
Spin Me Round (Like A Record) / God's Got Nothing On You / Sisters Of
Mercy / Saviours And All / If You Miss Me At The Back Of The Bus / Black
Letter / Avalanche / Call Me Your Darling / This Girl Is Taking Bets / Are
You Ready / Razor Valentine / When I Get Back To Shore / The Lower Road.
Review by Pete Whalley
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