Women In Blues
The Norwich Arts Centre was arranged rather unusually on Saturday. 6 columns of chairs were, split evenly on each side of the room. When people filed in to see Women in the Blues (part of the Fine City Blues Festival) they sat or stood by the sound desk, leaving a vast space where gig-goers would normally dance/sway/respond to the act in whichever way took their fancy. The performers had a challenge on their hands.
Fran McGillivray and Mike Burke led the celebration of women’s immense contribution to blues music. The duo chose a steady, stripped back performance – Fran mastered the difficult bass-lead vocals, while Mike played lead guitar and supported Fran’s singing. They played an eclectic mix of blues, soul and folk, each song spearheaded by Fran’s warm vocals and Mike’s impressive slide playing. The couple coaxed crowd engagement but unfortunately got little back. Regardless, they were great – even if no one wanted to move forward and dance to their cover of Route 66, they performed a passionate, expressive version anyway.
Fran and Mike were followed by my personal highlight – The Dove and Boweevil Band. Again, the crowd was oddly positioned and stagnant, but the band stormed through their brand of foot-stomping blues despite this. Lead singer Lauren Dove entranced with rich, soaring vocals – her voice crisp enough to showcase excellent song-writing. Dove chatted to the crowd between songs, danced and threw in the odd country shrieks and hollers. Bandmate Dave Boweevil matched her zeal with impassioned, accurate blues guitar.
Malaya Blue Band took the final slot for the night; the eponymous singer instantly captivating in a striking red dress and huge jet black hair. Her vocals, also rich, self-assured and sassy fit her aesthetic. The band spanned genres, switching seamlessly from blues to pop to jazz. Malaya’s singing glided along the rhythms of the band, who fizzed with energy and accentuated Malaya’s voice.
All three acts are critically-acclaimed and all performed beautifully on the night. Thus, it was a shame that the audience didn’t mirror their energy. Regardless, it was a brilliant show and a great opportunity to see three stellar blues acts in the same night.
