On a very cold January night, a reasonable turnout, but the venue
should have been packed. I know it was two days into the New Year, but
with an entrance price of £1, that worked out at 12½p per act. If you
can find a better bargain than that this year I would be surprised.
All of the acts were of a high standard and I definitely intend to try
and catch them all again in the forthcoming year. But I am going to
just cover three acts that I felt stood out, also as I didn’t go out on
New Year’s Eve I over indulged on the bottles of Dog, so I am afraid my
memory is slightly hazy and I’d hate to mix an act up.
Electra
Electra had the difficult job of opening the evening and it was clear
that at times nerves and lack of confidence were getting the better of
her. She had a lovely breathy voice, ideally suited to her style,
though I would love to see her trying a more jazz influenced style. All
in all a very promising start and after hearing that this was only her
fourth or fifth gig this is one young lady that we should all look out
for in the future.
Paula ann Driver
To me Paula was the find of the night, she had everything I look for.
Ok, yes she is very pretty, but she had something different and
original. A stunning voice delivered in a quirky style. Songs with
something to say, many influenced by her recent experiences in India,
along with an excellent stage presence. When you see those second rate
karaoke singers on the X-Factor becoming famous you realise there in no
justice in the music industry. It's acts like Paula who should be up
there, she writes her own material, can play musical instruments and
delivers them with great vocal skill.
I am looking forward to her future gigs very much, in fact she must
have been good, she prised money out of my pocket to buy her CD.
Butterflypolite
I have seen this band several times over the last year and yet to be
disappointed. Their laid back jazz style of playing fronted by the
wonderful sublime voice of Sarah Marshall is always a treat. The seven
musicians on stage play an eclectic mix of instruments that initially
you wonder how they will fit together. But to steal a quote “there is
not a single note that is out of place or not needed”, thanks Andy
Griffiths. There is definitely genius in the writing of their songs.
Sadly they played a fairly short set, but what an ending to an excellent night of young and promising talent.
To sum up next time you see a showcase night like this at a venue near you leave your sofa, I promise you a great night out.
Thank you to all the acts and especially Andy Stirton for organising the event.
Andy Tuck