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ELEANOR McEVOY
Love Must Be Tough
tour May 2008
Photo:
© 2008 Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
Three dates,
three very different gigs. Which just goes to show what a difference a
venue can make.
First up, the opening date of the tour at The Old Brown Jug, Newcastle
under Lyme - a spit and sawdust CAMRA pub that operates a (paying)
lock-in system for gigs. A great range of beers, a great sound system and
friendly staff, but little by way of creature comforts - no carpets and as
for seating - a stool or hard backed chair (if you were lucky).
Eleanor was literally hemmed in by her audience and gave a performance of
real passion and verve. To be blunt, it was ballsy, and reminded me
(strangely) of the first time I saw David Bowie pedalling Ziggy Stardust
at a sweaty Liverpool club back in 1972.
The set had the same sort of vibrancy and 'edge' that's hard to put your finger
on, and Eleanor's vocals were in some of the finest fettle of her career.
It was intoxicating set (although maybe that was the beer), most noteworthy
being a cover of Barry McGuire's Eve Of Destruction (updated with a vitriolic
condemnation of the current state of the world), a wonderful new song What's Her
Name?, the bodhran accompanied If You Want Me To Stay, and the frequent set
closer Dylan's Be My Baby Tonight.
But it was gig that didn't satiate, it just left you wanting more. Which was
lucky because 4 days later the tour arrived at The Rock, Maltby - a small
but perfectly formed purpose built concert hall close to Roche Abbey where soft
furnishings were very much the order of the day. A venue where the feral Eleanor
McEvoy put away her claws and purred to a rapt audience.
In contrast to The Old Brown Jug, there was a raised stage, curtains, cushions
and tablecloths, and you could hear a pin drop. While the set was by and large
unchanged it was, as a consequence, toned down and refined, focusing on
subtleties, panache, and audience participation exemplified by a poignant
version of Only A Woman's Heart and a exquisite encore of Joni Mitchell's Carrie
delivered without amplification from the heart of the audience. Magical minutes.
Photo:
© 2008 Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
So on to Alexander's Jazz Club, Chester, which was a 'halfway house'
between the two previous venues - a working jazz club, but with the refinements
you would expect of a cathedral city. And Eleanor served up a veritable
smorgasbord of old, new, borrowed and blues, which after a relatively restrained
first half, saw the audience indulge in some hearty involvement on I Knew The
Bride (When She Used To Rock And Roll), When You (Smile), Be My Baby Tonight and
Only A Woman's Heart (complete with a Spanish chorus).
It was yet another first rate set, confirming that Ms McEvoy remains on top of
her game at present. The highlights were many, but for me at least were What's
Her Name played on bass, Eve Of Destruction, Ave Maria, Be My Baby Tonight and a
quite stunning second encore of the little aired Stray Thoughts from her debut
album.
Truthfully, singer-songwriters and solo performers don't come any better than
this.
****
Review by Pete Whalley
Album review
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