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.

The Nerve Centre Live Review: Jazamin Sinclair

JAZAMIN SINCLAIR@The Nerve Centre. September 2^rd 2010.

On an unassuming sunny afternoon, JAZAMIN SINCLAIR arrived fashionably late at Renshaw Street’s The Nerve Centre for her acoustic set. After an impressively quick set up and introduction possible only with an acoustic set, she opened up her performance with the self-penned Old Time, a short and sweet song that was met with much approval from the sympathetic audience. Following the applause she moved onto a cover of Beth Orton’s Stolen Car, which captured the feel of the original but was still recognizably different enough to work well in its eyes shut sing-along-ability.  Next came a shift change with a cover of the ubiquitous anthem to either granny grabbing or punching, Take Your Mama Out, which had no such implication with Sinclair’s acoustic take on the song which raised more than a few smiles in the crowd. 

Such a number of covers in a set could be seen as a concession to originality to some eyes, but a later chat to Sinclair and a check of her artist page is proof enough that she has many songs in her proverbial artillery. Following some sound issues amiably dealt with by Sinclair and a quick audience hearing check, it was back to business as usual with a cover of a song that some may know called Spaceman. Sinclair’s clear voice and excellent guitar was more than a match for the original, and the feeling in her performance was as evident as in 4 None Blondes’ original. As mentioned before, the set was primarily covers of other artists songs, but Sinclair never sold herself short, and the set’s brevity was disappointing as I could quite easily have sat through many more songs, be they covers or not, which is not something one can say often at a live show. 

The fact she chose to perform songs from the singer-songwriter genre is definitely in her favor as these songs are usually well written, timeless and above all very good. Her version of Big Yellow Taxi was particularly good and had many, including this reviewer, ready for more. Its theme was also appropriate, perhaps unintentionally, as there were calls for a cleaner greener Earth posted just behind her, appropriately right next to her paintings which makes a very good backdrop to her music. For those who have not come across Sinclair before, you should go down and see her when you get a chance. This was her first solo show in a while, and despite her apologies after the show for the sound problems, there really was no need as the songs she chose, including an interesting cover of Skunk Anansie’s Pickin’ On Me, all spoke for themselves. The only complaint would be that more originals would have made a good show even better than it was. Simplicity is rare thing these days, and Sinclair’s acoustic performance was most definitely an example of the beauty of simplicity in music and performance.  

Review and Photo: Sebastian Gahan.