Event: Ely
Support: Evie Moran, Matthew McGurty
Venue: The Brindley
Reviewer: Tony Higginson, Liverpool Acoustic
Music can be a solitary experience, both for the performer and the audience. That is something of a shame as truly music needs as many ears as possible and if everyone could bring a friend, they’d always be conversation and double the enjoyment offered. It would double and reciprocate.
Since we were slowly allowed to re-engage with reality and be in places with other people, the local live music scene has nervously re-emerged, from distanced and masked gigs with no clapping, how utterly strange is that?
To, not full houses and a feeling of trepidation that is anyone ever coming to see and hear me, to now, we can all be there and experience sensational performances like this nights.
The Brindley is a gem of a venue and has ample free parking which helps. The Studio is a really good size, and the staging, sound and lights are superb. So, we simply grabbed a drink and a seat and sat waiting for the show.
At exactly 7.30pm Evie Moran walked onto the stage and captured our hearts with her wonderful voice and depth of emotion and subtle guitar plucking and changes of tempo. She opened with In my Mind and her lovely husky tone just lifted the room and we all relaxed and enjoyed, a reflective song and one I am sure will feature on what will be a superb debut LP soon.
She upped tempo and we had a Jazzy song, Closer which has superb phrasing, a real winner, also she hasn’t performed too often in the last few years. Who has!
She gigs twice a week in the NW and you should all find time to follow her and see and hear her, like all the artists, she has a Bandcamp and that is the place to go for your digital music and not Spotify etc.
She treated us to a cover of Corinne Bailey Rae’s excellent Go put your records on, she did a lovely arrangement and it really lifted the room. It also struck me that she has a real look and sound of Katie Melua, a nice mix of delicate and dark enough when needed. Her single from pre-lockdown, All my Love was a slow breathy lament and very eloquent, almost hypnotic. Her new single which has no title as of yet, but I’d suggest… Everything I want to be… is a cracker, she added a lovely bass motif to her playing and her delicate picking really works for her songs. A lovely song of yearning and finding love. Her last song was also a single, Dream, another stripped back carefully crafted and beautifully sung too. Evie has a great voice, communicates well between songs which is a good thing as not knowing much about an artist you can sometimes be left not really knowing what their songs are about and how they came to be. The nice thing about the Studio setting was we all sat comfortably, and everyone could see and hear the set. Evie deserves support and I hope you all go see her and buy from her directly. For a young artist she has plenty of personality in her writing and performing, a real star in the making.
Next up was the ebullient Matthew McGurty, a real joy of a performer, obviously very used to working the audience with wit and charm between his stunning songs and incredible singing. Reminded me of Newton Faulkner, but in truth any comparisons are only for loose connection in case you’ve never seen or heard the act. Matthew has real control over his voice, he can swoop from soft and meaningful to raw and passionate in a flicker of the eye, his guitar playing was excellent too.
He didn’t always say what is songs were called, so some titles are guesswork. His opener, Leave your self behind was excellent, really powerful lyrics and as often is, a search for things that are elusive. He also went for a Jazzy upbeat second number, Why don’t we go out, very apt after 2 odd years of no-one being able to do so. Quite a funny lyric too, I’m sure he used the word Hipsters!
Matthew also whistles well, he used this effect wonderfully in his 3rd song and later too. A nice metaphorical song about keeping your head above water and not being out of your depth. Next was a sensational song, joyful and passionate, I can be there for you, with its lilting rhythm and optimistic refrain of holding onto dreams. Next was a mid-tempo strum and slap of a song with the whistling back in. Walk in the Park, really good vocals on this one. His last song had a strong Country tinge. Showcased his vocal dexterity and moved through the cadences really well. Great middle eight on the guitar and a fine way to end an accomplished set. His CD is also available via his Bandcamp go get a copy! Lay back and let the clouds disappear from the sky… Great stuff…
The staff were attentive and made sure everything was kept perfect for the main act, the room erupted as Jenny Colquitt and Ely walked onto stage, and it stayed like that for 90 minutes, this was truly a gig to remember, and the songs just kept getting better and the performances were superb.
Jenny really can rock out, she is blessed with a pitch perfect voice with a great range and real depth of emotion. She strums away like a dervish and her interaction with the tightest band is as good as anyone I’ve seen, every note and beat was played to perfection. Jenny also writes powerful lyrics, they deal with everything from feelings for others and empathy for others to observations on her beloved hometown and the world at large.
She hails from Widnes as I assume so do the boys and they are easily as good as any of the major city bands we all go and see. Firstly, the drumming by Josh is rock solid, also has a lot of feeling and panache without ever being too loud or showy, the riffles of muted beaters and excellent rhythmic control and fills make every song sound polished and rocky enough when needed. Dual guitars by Ian and James complement each other perfectly and add and fill the sound and lift the volume at the right time is always a treat, think Thin Lizzy meets Dire Straits in essence. When you have a monster as a bass player you will always have a groove, Danni is a huge presence and can really rumble on his Thunderbird bass, all the band look brilliant on stage, and all have their own persona to share with us the audience. Most importantly it is their songs and delivery, polished and perfect are the least I can say. Their ability to change tempo, build a sonic wall of intensity of sound and words and race through a set without drawing breath and still make it seem like the last note was the beginning is a rare treat. I can only hope many will find and follow them and especially support them via Bandcamp. A quick word to the excellent Baz who manages them, he makes everything tick, the Merch is superb, and he puts up fab videos at their gigs.
The set-
Out There, rock steady, slow start and real rip-roaring crescendos as it builds, Jenny is awesome at delivering the song owning the stage and orchestrating the band. Immediately the Dire Straits influences came through, mixed with Jenny’s awesome vocals, very Pat Benatar.
Don’t Call me baby, a slightly slower song, soulful and heartfelt lyrics from their Black Smoke EP, wistful and poetic.
Devil’s Snow, when you are walking into the abyss… superb slide guitar from James, tight beats and terrific range on vocals from Jenny, not about white powders either!
Paper Planes, an early highlight a raucous climate song, killer riff and after the laid-back opening refrains one of the most powerful lyrics about a future we are fighting for. Awesome guitars and drums and as ever the bass just underpins effortlessly.
Be the Wild, a staple of theirs from their EP and a nice acoustic song, gentle tympani and superb dual guitars backed with a subtle bass that oozes along as though a tide is coming in and ebbing out.
Lady A, an old song, very Kirsty MacColl and delivered with real emotion. Ends with a lovely line, Guess I’ll just be me…
The Road, a sort of Chris Isaak journey along a road with some stunning guitar work. Very nice drum work too.
Tornado, a single in the past and still a sensational rock song, I don’t want you till my dying day, great line! Superb interplay between bass and guitars. Jenny finds time to move to the right places on stage between her vocals, her chemistry with the band is sonic glue.
Papa is a new song about absent fathers, although as Jenny points out, not based on personal circumstances as her dad is a huge part of her life and was with us on the night. Another well-crafted and seriously well played song.
I Swear, really goes through the range of emotion, and builds a vast sound as it goes.
Moon Song, a slightly downbeat number, but it is merely a lull before the storming Therapy to come, their stunning single, a furious song packed with dynamic riffs and interplay from the rhythm section, a great song about what we need, Jenny was up there in her Alanis moment on this one.
Black Smoke, their signature song of where they are from really whether it’s the chemical smoke or the pontifical one, the line about a little girl in the room a smile across her face full of grace…and the prayers for the younger folks with spirit in their eyes. This song deserves a huge amount of success.
The shimmer of cymbals and Knopfleristic guitar work is exquisite, underpinned by bass thunder and washes of fine fill lines by Ian on Gibson. Shadows creep into the dirty town… But there is still optimism of sparks to light us up.
Time is always tight at the end of a gig and their encore of Alone was not one to leave us that way, but to bring us together in the connectivity of band and singer in harmony with their audience. Another slow starter that keeps going up the scale of passion and power as it builds, the guys add in effects at just the right time to make the song wash over us. A huge crescendo of sound that just leaves you humming and smiling and wanting more.
If you like Dire Straits, Joni Mitchell, or Alanis Morrisette you will love Ely. In truth they are their own band, they know where they are from, and their chemistry and cohesion are wonderful. They’ll rip your heart out and make it beat fervently and they’ll take you inside every thought and emotion.
Watching them is a treat, so make sure you get to their gigs!
Tony Higginson
Beyond Books Media
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