(Click on first image above to begin slideshow)
The hardest thing to write about is a live show, unlike music, or film, you can't go back to the start repeatedly and listen / watch again to fully capture what you want to say. Last night I was in The Vintage Room at The Workman's Club for the very first time to see Leila Jane's sold out headline show with support from Amy Ellen and Jem Mitchell. It was my third time seeing her in 3 consecutive years, but the close quarters of the room definitely made for a different experience. My mind was racing a bit with pinpoint moments during the set that resonated on the spot, some will inevitably be lost here, but I like the idea that they'll be left in that room.
I arrived not entirely sure how to access the room, anyone who has been to The Workman's before will know that once you go up the first two flights of stairs there are a labyrinthine amount of doorways and more stairs! Despite a horrendous sense of direction I found the room eventually, god I love that wallpaper which I had only seen in pictures before. Without delay Amy Ellen opened the evening with her band, slightly stripped back from the seven-piece she usually performs with, but nonetheless all four got us off to a great start, a disarmingly calm but highly enjoyable set that you could straight away tell must be so much bigger with full band.
For me, on a personal note, last night was all about guitars and vocals, this is where my home is when it comes to music, happily interrupted at times by my love for all of the other genres and styles, but I'll always retreat to this combination at the end of the day. I hadn't seen Jem Mitchell in a while, last time was in Rathmines 2 years ago, but absence certainly made the heart fonder. Ken Browne was on lead guitar for Jem's set, and I was constantly drawn between his solos and the main man, such a pleasure to witness. Mitchell is an understated satirist lyrically, the trick is pulling the wool over your eyes, brevity masking real and sometimes painful experiences. Although very different, the combination of themes and musical delivery remind me of Richard Hawley's persona, an artist who doesn't take himself too seriously, but takes his craft deadly seriously, with a voice to match, I was a bit annoyed with myself that I'd forgotten the dexterity he holds with same.
By the time Leila Jane took to the stage with her band the windows had fully fogged up, life and traffic on both sides of the Liffey turning into blurry trails through the glass. All the detail above and her set feels like such a blur, my overriding feeling during it was that it was so real, like the Jeff Buckley song! Sometimes witnessing something that perfect feels like a dream, because reality is imperfect. My first impression was how she could literally floor the room with her voice, it has outrageous power that seems impossible to come from a mortal being, and this happened with the opening song and never dissipated. Leila Jane moves at the flick of a switch from soft, to tremelo, to sheer power, it is such a privilege to witness, and you're either born with this gift or you aren't, no amount of vocal coaching or practice will ever get to this place.
Leila Jane has also assembled the perfect group of musicians to bring her songs to a special place, Stuart Doyle on lead guitar was mesmeric, I spent a lot of time looking at him working that Gretsch, Danni Nolan on percussion effortlessly accomplished, and nailed on harmonies from the backing vocalists. The band were ridiculously tight and sharp, the songs came thick and fast so there was little time for sitting on laurels.
Leila Jane has also assembled the perfect group of musicians to bring her songs to a special place, Stuart Doyle on lead guitar was mesmeric, I spent a lot of time looking at him working that Gretsch, Danni Nolan on percussion effortlessly accomplished, and nailed on harmonies from the backing vocalists. The band were ridiculously tight and sharp, the songs came thick and fast so there was little time for sitting on laurels.
I know why Leila Jane's music impacts on me the way it does, it's no mystery. I spent a lot of time discovering the trinity of blues, soul and country-folk from the 40's to the 70's for a period of about 5 years, it was all I listened to, and I fell completely out of touch with contemporary / new music during that time. It's a weird image, but listening to her music is like having the front of your body peeled off and a perfectly fitting sonic plug put in its place. Leila Jane isn't just a musician influenced by the past, she's a more than worthy direct continuation of that tradition. The best and most impacting live performance I've seen so far in 2019.
