'Tis the season for all manner of bugs, colds and illnesses. One had befallen Katy J Pearson, who struck an apologetic note after the night’s first number to say she had been unwell all day and was going to do her best to get through the gig. That added an unexpected element to proceedings, namely by creating the potential for the whole show to come to a sudden halt at any point.
Yet Pearson was otherwise unaffected, save for a jokey remark she made about her bodily functions that she just as rapidly quipped she regretted making. She was helped certainly, by a three-piece backing band of heft and skill, who gave her material both an understated power but also enough nimble melody to impress the ear. However the gig itself rested on her voice, a striking vocal that contrasted with the otherwise unassuming figure standing centre stage.
It carries the sort of plaintive, weathered yet unbroken tone that could imbue the reading of a shopping list with emotion, and it was unsurprising that the encore’s opening “Hey You” was performed solo, to really let it rise up. Yet this was an impressive and assured show in other ways too, running through material from all three of the Bristol-based singer’s albums in snappy fashion.
It started with the languid strum of “These Goodbyes” – a song with recorded and deliberately glitchy vocals that suggested she was trying to open the Necronomicon book from the Evil Dead films and had fallen into an alt-country gem by accident. There were other early highlights too, as “Beautiful Soul” chugged along with insistent bass and old favourite “Alligator” carried real swagger. In some settings you could imagine it getting a dancefloor going, but this was a more sedate crowd content to sway rather than dance, at least in the early going – perhaps a reflection of the fact it was a miserable, wet Tuesday.
Pearson’s writing of melodies lends itself to movement and excitement, and songs from this year’s Someday, Now record were no different. “Save Me” was introduced as a disco song and while the venue’s glitter ball wasn’t quite needed, it was a terrific slice of rhythmic pop, and the following “Maybe” positively sashayed along, all country chime with a fantastic, soaring chorus.
Pearson and her band remained firmly on terra firma as performers though, and sometimes you wanted them to carry a little more oomph and force. Given Pearson’s illness that is maybe a harsh complaint, but it did mean the gig was passive at points, if never not enjoyable. However the sheer melodies and voice were often enough, particularly on the rousing pop run-through of “Take Back The Radio” and the encore’s sun-kissed melody of “Tonight”. A beefed-up, rocky take on “Sky” wrapped the night up before Pearson departed, presumably heading for the comfort of a warm drink and an early night.
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