Laura Marling
Must give it 10/10
My first review gig post lockdown and Laura Marling did not disappoint with a truly beautiful performance and show to remember. The audience remained transfixed for the duration by her incredible, raw and authentic storytelling, master guitar playing and charming banter in between. The set began with an epic tale; in Marling’s own words “I thought I’d ease you in with a casual 16-minute track to start things off!” which the crowd loved from beginning to end.
This tour centres around tracks performed from Marling’s album “Song For Our Daughter” released during the pandemic in 2020. Marling admitted to not having toured for four and a half years but her showmanship never faltered, even if she felt out of practice, the performance was an utter delight. Her unfiltered, unapologetic lyrics told us many a tale of love, loss and a great deal of sadness, however there was something strangely uplifting about the whole thing. I loved the simple but effective stage lighting which illuminated from behind with UV squares and assorted colourful backdrops whilst keeping Marling, alone with her guitar front and centre bathed in an ethereal white glow.
As we were leaving UEA, my friend I gushing about the performance; he summed it up in one great sentence “She’s like this other-worldly being with illuminous hair and translucent skin who has beamed down from outer space and just morphed into this beautiful alien embodiment of something like Johnny Cash!”While I would agree with this sentiment, (especially about her being a beautiful creature from another dimension!) I’d go one further. Marling subverts from the traditional sounds of folk and takes on a whole new, very female, very powerful and honest approach that is uniquely her.
