Cara Dillon: Phoenix Theatre, Exeter: 15th Feb.
Feb 16, 2015 19:46:02 GMT
ocarolan and brianr2 like this
Post by Andy P on Feb 16, 2015 19:46:02 GMT
We'd only been to this theatre once before and as soon as we entered the auditorium we remembered just how cosy it is. The stage is at ground level which adds to the intimacy: no orchestra pit distancing the front row from the artists. We were five rows back and ideally placed right in the middle.
I'll deal with the support act first. This was a locally based Swedish-American lady by the name of Rosa Rebecka. To her great credit, she appears to be able to perform miracles. As a result of my Meniere's disease playing up, I had been virtually deaf in my left ear for a week or more. Right at the point of the climax of Ms Rebecka's unaccompanied first song, I felt a sudden pressure change in my ear and, in biblical fashion, I was instantly healed.
Apart from that, I don't wish to be unkind but reviews should be truthful: I found her voice overbearing, particularly in the higher register, in an amateur operatic kind of way. The only part of her act I enjoyed was the beautiful tone she elicited by rubbing a stick around the rim of a far-Eastern singing bowl. Such a shame she joined in and sang slightly sharp. I'll give her credit for her competent guitar accompaniment but we found her self-penned songs somewhat self-indulgent and cliche-ridden.
The moment Cara walked on to the stage we both noticed that she looked drained and unwell. We soon learned why: she had bronchitis. To add to that, her husband and accompaniest Sam Lakeman had two slipped discs in his back and had been on a cocktail of medication to keep him upright. As soon as he hit the chords to River Run on his Roland electric piano and Cara sang the opening lines of this beautiful ballad (about River Phoenix), we knew that their ailments weren't going to prevent them from giving up a fabulous concert, and so it proved.
Champion Irish fiddle-player Niall Murphy entered the stage after the opener and the three of them took us through most of the latest album, A Thousand Hearts, with a few blasts from the past thrown in. The music was sublime, from the haunting Garden Valley, which literally brought me out in goosebumps, to songs like Moorlough Mary with its rousing instrumental break. We all sang along on Bright Morning Star and I think the porfessionals were genuinely impressed with the harmonies we produced. Mrs Breedlover, herself a former professional singer, said she noticed that Cara's voice lacked just a touch of its usual strength, which was hardly surprising, but her breath control, sustain, haunting quality and absolute mastery of microphone technique were not suffering one iota. She was simply stunning.
I didn't notice Sam put a foot wrong on guitar or piano. He can vary his accompaniment from the most sensitive and lightest of touches to an extremely percussive style of playing. He produces continuously fabulous sounds from his Taylor, mostly in DADGAD tuning.
Niall provided a perfect extra "voice" on fiddle and he was given plenty of the opportunity to "show off" (their words, not mine!), notably with a medley of reels (none of which he could put a name to!) played at breathtaking pace.
The trademark bonhomie and banter was evident throughout the set, especially the mild ribbing handed out to Niall and Sam's delivery of his latest "Fact". The audience was warm and extremely appreciative, as was Cara when she thanked us all for supporting live music, thereby allowing the three of them to do what they love doing the best. They finished to a storming reception after an 80 minute set and we got The Parting Glass as a most welcome encore. After that, I think we all felt we should let them get Cara home to bed, so we let them go. Of course she's the true professional and she was straight out to the foyer to sign CD's for folks on their way out.
If by any chance you haven't see Cara and Sam and their pals perform live, I implore you to do so at the first opportunity. You'll come out with such a lovely glow inside.
I'll deal with the support act first. This was a locally based Swedish-American lady by the name of Rosa Rebecka. To her great credit, she appears to be able to perform miracles. As a result of my Meniere's disease playing up, I had been virtually deaf in my left ear for a week or more. Right at the point of the climax of Ms Rebecka's unaccompanied first song, I felt a sudden pressure change in my ear and, in biblical fashion, I was instantly healed.
Apart from that, I don't wish to be unkind but reviews should be truthful: I found her voice overbearing, particularly in the higher register, in an amateur operatic kind of way. The only part of her act I enjoyed was the beautiful tone she elicited by rubbing a stick around the rim of a far-Eastern singing bowl. Such a shame she joined in and sang slightly sharp. I'll give her credit for her competent guitar accompaniment but we found her self-penned songs somewhat self-indulgent and cliche-ridden.
The moment Cara walked on to the stage we both noticed that she looked drained and unwell. We soon learned why: she had bronchitis. To add to that, her husband and accompaniest Sam Lakeman had two slipped discs in his back and had been on a cocktail of medication to keep him upright. As soon as he hit the chords to River Run on his Roland electric piano and Cara sang the opening lines of this beautiful ballad (about River Phoenix), we knew that their ailments weren't going to prevent them from giving up a fabulous concert, and so it proved.
Champion Irish fiddle-player Niall Murphy entered the stage after the opener and the three of them took us through most of the latest album, A Thousand Hearts, with a few blasts from the past thrown in. The music was sublime, from the haunting Garden Valley, which literally brought me out in goosebumps, to songs like Moorlough Mary with its rousing instrumental break. We all sang along on Bright Morning Star and I think the porfessionals were genuinely impressed with the harmonies we produced. Mrs Breedlover, herself a former professional singer, said she noticed that Cara's voice lacked just a touch of its usual strength, which was hardly surprising, but her breath control, sustain, haunting quality and absolute mastery of microphone technique were not suffering one iota. She was simply stunning.
I didn't notice Sam put a foot wrong on guitar or piano. He can vary his accompaniment from the most sensitive and lightest of touches to an extremely percussive style of playing. He produces continuously fabulous sounds from his Taylor, mostly in DADGAD tuning.
Niall provided a perfect extra "voice" on fiddle and he was given plenty of the opportunity to "show off" (their words, not mine!), notably with a medley of reels (none of which he could put a name to!) played at breathtaking pace.
The trademark bonhomie and banter was evident throughout the set, especially the mild ribbing handed out to Niall and Sam's delivery of his latest "Fact". The audience was warm and extremely appreciative, as was Cara when she thanked us all for supporting live music, thereby allowing the three of them to do what they love doing the best. They finished to a storming reception after an 80 minute set and we got The Parting Glass as a most welcome encore. After that, I think we all felt we should let them get Cara home to bed, so we let them go. Of course she's the true professional and she was straight out to the foyer to sign CD's for folks on their way out.
If by any chance you haven't see Cara and Sam and their pals perform live, I implore you to do so at the first opportunity. You'll come out with such a lovely glow inside.
Jo whoever he is.
