17 November 2015 (gig)
22 November 2015
If you are six months pregnant and you have spent the week being a 'You Tube phenomenon' (ish), you would perhaps have more things on your mind than the state of your iPhone. But the 'death' of Sandi Thom's iPhone4 has ruined her day. Well ruined is overstating it. But the fact that the strange demise of it seems the biggest worry on her mind, indicates that the singer has put her rant about Radio 2 and station playlists into perspective.
Settling down for a sit down showcase of some of her new material and some older gems and cover versions, Thom seems warmly connected to the crowd in this intimate venue. It's just her, a cellist and a guitarist and she chats freely between songs. She explains that her hormones can be all over the place and gently advises women not to lock themselves in their bathroom and make a film on their phone when six months pregnant!
That comment done, she can move on. The elephant in the room has been addressed and she doesn't really need the reassuring cries from the audience of 'f*** Radio 2'. Now we can concentrate on assessing where this once would be "punk rocker" is musically. Her voice is still supreme and she's settled on a bluesy sound, a long way from her pop chart beginnings. Of the new material, Ghosts is the most impressive, a powerful and emotional reflection of past loves. In interviews around this show Thom will discuss the end of her relationship with Joe Bonamassa and here she admits that she had fallen to the lowest point in her life after their break-up.
There's a cover of Steve Nicks' Landslide and Foo Fighters' Times Like These is dedicated to those affected by the Paris shootings. Surprisingly there is an appearance of THAT song. I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker is given a different stripped down feel but its lyrics sill resonate, especially as just at the climax, someone's mobile rings. Venue's might be smoke free in 2015 but sometimes I wish I was a punk rocker when phones never appeared at gigs! Thom laughs it off though and there's enough evidence tonight that next year's Weapons Of Past Destruction will be an intriguing listen.
