LONDON, BARFLY: 29.03.05
The last time I saw Kristin Hersh play it was part of the Beyond Nashville festival and she only played for an hour with no encore so tonight I was hoping for her usual 2 encores and I was not disappointed. The Barfly is the perfect venue for this intimate show. She is on stage on a pedestal so that everyone can get a good view of her. It’s important to see Kristin while she sings as you can see as well as feel the intensity of the songs. Next to her is Martin McCarrick with the cello and Kimberlee on violin.
She starts off with a Throwing Muses song, 'Hysterical Bending' and then plays songs from her solo albums and Throwing Muses which span almost 20 years. Her voice is intense and full of emotion and with the strings it creates the most beautiful sounds which are incredibly moving. A great surprise was 'Cottonmouth' which I’ve never heard live before. Before playing it she explained where the song came from; an overheard conversation between two sisters which got a little crazy, with the lyrics “don’t’ call me jailbait”, you get the picture… She played one new song which sounds like it could slot nicely onto 'Hips and Makers'. It’s a welcome return to the lushness of the strings after the barren songs from 'The Grotto'. More amusing anecdotes are told between songs which are almost as good as the tunes themselves; old ladies on buses who never leave the house and people phoning in to say how they hate one of her songs! Like her solo career and her band she can go from one extreme to another, from being a cheerful story teller to a powerfully desperate singer in an instant.
It was a perfect night; fantastic songs, great banter and 2 encores, in an intimate venue with a hugely appreciative audience. It was a very special night indeed.
Review by Sonia Pagliari
Read Joyzine's
interview with Kristin Hersh
www.throwingmusic.com
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