Live review: Laura Veirs, Hall Two, The Sage Gateshead
LAURA VEIRS ... slightly surreal, minimalist but always melodic songs of love.
BESPECTACLED American singer-songwriter Laura Veirs transfixed an enthusiastic audience with her folk and country-tinged ditties.
Since her eponymous debut in 1999, Veirs has developed a cult following in the UK with her slightly surreal, minimalist but always melodic songs of love.
Live, she isn’t half as stern as her album covers and publicity shots would suggest, and there was plenty of knock-about banter with her excellent supporting players, electric guitarist Tim Young and violinist Alex Guy.
The 38-year-old’s music has a tremendously unforced quality, evident on songs from her 2010 album July Flame.
Make Something Good and Wide-eyed, Legless (no relation to the Andy Fairweather Low classic) are akin to parables in song.
She also included songs from her latest album, Tumble Bee, a collection of traditional children’s songs. A particular highlight was a rollicking version of The Fox.
Earlier in the day she’d played a parents and kiddies show, after which a Geordie woman approached to express her appreciation. “I could tell by her face movements she was a lovely lady – but I couldn’t understand a word!”, Veirs said.
We ended with an audience singalong and a soap bubble storm from an onstage machine – a suitably offbeat end to a lovely, quirky evening.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Newcastle target Barnetta to quit Bayer Leverkusen
- Transfer Rumours update May 22: Sunderland, Newcastle United, Liverpool, West Ham United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and QPR.
- Amalfitano flies into Toon to seal Newcastle deal
- Teacher died hours after hospital sent her home
- Cats ready to Hammer out McCartney deal
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for South Shields
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.