It`s just over twelve months since Gareth Dunlop released his latest album `Animal` which I have to say was magnificent. I managed to catch Gareth last September when he was special guest to fellow Ulsterman Foy Vance as well as being part of his band. So, I was looking forward to reacquainting myself with him in a venue that is purpose build for sound.
The singer arrives with fellow musician Pete Wallace in tow and after a quick hello share the heartbreaking `My Kind Of Paradise` from this album. There`s a new song which may have been `Go Dance` which is dedicated to the singer`s daughter before he sits at the piano and enthrals us with `Small Talk`. Another that pulls at the strings of your heart follows with `Can`t Stand Myself` before Gareth shares that his music has featured in numerous television shows, films, and commercials and plays the edgy `Devil Like You` which was included in Lucifer, the successful American urban fantasy television series.
`Traindriver` ups the pace before the artist returns to the piano for a final cut in ‘Look Back Smiling’ which was written as a message of sorts for the singer`s son and is dedicated to him this evening. It was all over too soon and I was left reflecting on who Mr Dunlop sounds like and thought that he sounds like the best of Paul Brady and Liam Ó Maonlaí from The Hothouse Flowers. Judging by the queue at the merch table in the interval, Gareth seems destined for a bright future.
After a successful career spanning over a half century multiple Grammy award winner American blues singer and songwriter Bonnie Raitt probably doesn`t need an introduction. Birmingham is the last date of her indoor UK and Irish `Just like That` tour with a final appearance at the open-air Black Deer Festival in Kent at the weekend before returning to tour the United States.
Bonnie and her band open with a cover of The Bros. Landreth penned `Made Up Mind` from her latest release and it`s a gentle introduction but really highlights the vocal dexterity of this artist. The funky `Used to Rule the World` allows the band of James “Hutch” Hutchinson (bass), Ricky Fataar (drums), Glenn Patscha (keys) and, Duke Levine (guitars) to shine before the rockier `No Business` blasts out and the more reflective `Blame It on Me` a track from the latest release `Just like That` follows. There`s a mix of self-penned tracks and a variety of covers but one that really stood out was `Just Like That` the title track off the last album which details the story of a woman who is visited by the recipient of her son’s heart, which he received in a life-saving organ donation operation.
The singer speaks lovingly about her departed long-term friend the Americana folk singer songwriter John Prine and shares his `Angel From Montgomery` before closing the set with a rendition of Talking Heads number `Burning Down The House` which was unexpected but worked really well.
Th troupe head back for a three-song encore which included `I Can’t Make You Love Me`, the reggae tinged `One Belief Away` and `Never Make Your Move Too Soon`
This septuagenarian shows no sign of slowing up and relates that artists such as Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson inspire her to continue and she hopes to be back at this venue in another decade. Let’s hope so.
