Martha
Wainwright (vocals, guitar).
(Review by Ann Alex)
What an entertainer this
lady is! Even if she didn't sing, she
could make a living as a comedienne, telling tall tales. She had level 1 of Hall One laughing all the
way, with tales of how the songs came to be written, comments about why her
hair was wayward (problems with the hairdryer).
Approximate quote ‘I used to
write songs about being unloved and unhappy, now I write songs about being
loved and unhappy; my husband takes no notice anyway!’
The songs were mainly about relationships,
sung expressively in a voice sometimes sweet and somewhat cute, sometimes
strongly dramatic, with skilled guitar played with aplomb. Not jazz, but songs definitely from the
stable of the McGarrigle/ Loudon Wainwright families, contemporary folk. I didn't catch the names of all the songs,
but those I did identify included Can You
Believe It; Four Black Sheep (written for a competition); Radio Star; This Life.
The more serious songs
paid tribute to the memory of the singer’s mother, Kate McGarrigle, for
instance the torch song I Am A Diamond,
an unpublished song about the ocean, and a song about the environment Prosperine. The concert ended with a
lovely rendition of La Vie En Rose,
sung without any amplification, as a statement in favour of saving the
country’s energy.
-----
Sam Amidon (vocals,
guitar, fiddle, banjo); Chris Valalayo? (drums, bass guitar, piano, electronic
effects)
The performance had begun with traditional and contemporary folk
songs from this duo which made for pleasant listening with mostly good
musicianship, except for (to my ears anyway) a few jarring effects from the
violin and electronics. But a good
concert all round.
Ann
Alex
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