Review: Tibi and Her Cello at The Insurrection.

FACT was buzzing with an energy unusual to it's overall regular lethargic pace of art enjoyment and although the Insurrection was postulating over Open Source software, the people coming through the doors were waiting for Tibi and her cello to perform.

Soon the previously spartan occupied space was filled by people of all ages as a flurry of activity brought people through the doors as the always fascinating band set up took place. During all this I was mounting art onto the gallery wall and could feel the energy growing steadily in the Gallery. Of course, the real reason I was here besides adding beauty to the walls was to see Tibi and her cello perform. 

Just as on record Tibi and her cello packs a perfectionist punch and never seems less than totally happy during the performance. In an age of performers who give little care to the audience watching them this show was a breath of fresh air and if the set seemed a little incongruous to the usual Insurrection performance it was only a good thing. After all, Tibi and her cello is a unique artist who clearly has no trouble getting a big reaction from the audience.

The set, although but thirty-minutes long, was a tour-de-force in musical perfection and never once was there a feeling of wanting the set or the songs to stop so when the set did end there was a sense of wanting more in the best possible way. From opener Far Away, with it's breathy vocals to the Spanish language songs in the set there was a hush over the gallery, with people captivated by the sound of the cello plucking it's way into the atmosphere as easily as oxygen.

Highlights include the fact that this was an acoustic set - her first in Liverpool - and the acoustics of the gallery being perfect for a unique performance such as hers. The audience were speechless at the end and a joking request of questions for Tibi was met with a silence that seemed to say that the music had said it all.

Tibi and her cello will playing at Leaf Cafe on 21st April. Get on down there and be blown away!

Words and Image by Sebastian Gahan.