Indigo Girls + Lucy Wainwright Roche – Live at the
Bierkeller, Bristol, 25/07/2017
It might only be July but I think
I can confidently say that this was the hottest gig of the year. I’m not
necessarily commenting on the quality of the entertainment (more on that later)
but for some inexplicable reason, the Bierkeller decided to keep their air-con
system and strategically placed giant fans just for looking at which made for
an incredibly hot, sweaty and, frankly, unenjoyable atmosphere. Never fear,
though, opening act Lucy Wainwright
Roche is a cool cucumber of a customer and soon has the swelling crowd
eating out of the palm of her hand – musically and on a personal level. Singing
her own material as well as a macabre nursery rhyme written with half-sister
Martha Wainwright, it was easy to see LWR’s musical heritage shining through
from both the Wainwright and Roche musical dynasties. Aside from the music,
there was some gentle but well observed banter around the seeming indifference
of the English public to the constantly changing currency as well as some hints
to the cabin fever that builds up when touring as a solo artist.
We thought we’d seen the last of
Lucy Wainwright Roche when the need for fresh air meant that we missed the end
of her set but, fortuitously, when Atlanta duo Indigo Girls took to the stage amidst rapturous applause, they were
joined by Lucy Wainwright Roche on backing vocals and the talented Lyris on
violin duties. There’s a special reaction that Amy Ray and Emily Saliers evoke
in an audience that borders on hero-worship but is more in awe of the songs
these talented women have created over the decades and what those songs mean to
their devoted fanbase. Such adoration was repaid within minutes as fan
favourites ‘Fill It Up Again’, ‘Power of Two’, ‘Gone Again’ and ‘Go’ get a
sing-along going and produce a rousing sound for just four musicians with no percussion
other than audience hand claps.
Bouncing around through their
country, folk and blues flavoured back catalogue, Saliers and Ray played with
warmth, passion and no short measure of talent on whichever stringed instrument
they were handed by their hard-working roadie. ‘Woodsong’, ‘Olympia Inn’, ‘Get
Out the Map’ and ‘Let It Be Me’ straddle an offering from Ray’s forthcoming
solo offering, ‘Train Inside’. The evening climaxes with a joyous, almost
biblical ‘Galileo’ which has every word sung passionately back at the stage by
a beaming and satisfied (if sweaty) crowd. The standard short pause for
chanting is followed by a collective version of ‘Hammond Song’, originally by
the Roches, and then a guest is plucked seemingly from the crowd (via a Skype
audition) and we are treated to a five-piece rendition of the anthemic ‘Closer to
Fine’ featuring the talented Georgia Patterson on vocal duties. All in all, this
was an effortless and consummate performance which touched all the high notes
of euphoria and the lower notes of political commentary – a dichotomy that has
worked so well for this pair for years. In a cooler, more aerated venue there
may have even been a second encore but after that rousing final song we all
needed to breathe. Don’t leave it so long next time, come back to the UK soon.
More information:
Indigo Girls – https://www.facebook.com/theindigogirls/
Lucy Wainwright Roche - https://www.facebook.com/lwrlwr/