If ghostly tales recurring around the immaculately preserved
300 year-old school hall in the John Moore Foundation prove correct, its
occupants have now had to deal with the full force of Hannah Aldridge. Maybe
our spiritual cousins just took a seat like everybody else and soaked up the
evening’s entertainment, which frequently planted its tentacles into the dark
side. For one night only, this culturally diverse East Midlands venue turned
into an eerie mist of underground Nashville. Not the brash bright lights of the
country music capital, but a thriving metropolis of creative musicians flourishing
in a collaborative atmosphere of soaking up a multitude of influences. Joining
Hannah for this quirky gathering was fellow Music City resident Don Gallardo as
the duo passed like touring ships on a mission to spread their wares far.
The ease and clarity of the Don Gallardo performance aligned
to what we have come to expect from his records and shows. In unison with his
regular touring pal, bassist Travis Stock, the pair rattled through a batch of
cultured songs that resonate with immediate positive impact. This is not grower
music, but stellar tunes, meaningful lyrics and a cutting edge to power through
the genre haziness of country, folk and rock.
Who needs a set list? Well maybe copies of your two most
recent CDs rear side up are useful prompts. They certainly were not required for
an older song in ‘Burgundy Wine’ or a
cover of John Prine’s ‘Speed of the Sound
of Loneliness’, but generally the set was based around HICKORY and STILL
HERE. The latter is going through a phase of staggered releases between here
and the States. Hearing songs live for the first time like ‘The Golden Rule’, Stay Awhile’, ‘The Losing
Kind’, ‘Something I Gotta Learn’
and ‘Same Ol’ Alley Talkin’ Blues #12’
suggest this release possesses plenty of stamina.
The latter was dealt with the trademark introductory blurb,
an informative aspect perfected over many years. Fans of Don from previous shows
needed little reminding about the background to popular songs such as ‘Midnight Sounds’ and ‘The North Dakota Blues’, but patience is
required, especially in new venues, with at least some new admirers present.
This last song has evolved into the most prominent piece from his repertoire,
packed to the hilt with catchy lines and entertaining hooks as an updated entry
to the outlaw genre emerges.
In contrast to this being Don and Travis’ penultimate UK
show before heading home, Hannah actually raced to Appleby Magna straight from
the airport to renew her love affair with Britain after another raft of dates
in continental Europe. Hastily readjusting her stage presence including
borrowing Don’s guitar proved no barrier as she quickly adopted her stride and
proceeded to ascend to a performing level unrivalled in previous shows seen.
Similar to Don, but from a more restricted offering, Hannah
uses material off her two albums to recount a bunch of songs, rich in
intensity, passion and now a strong sense of familiarity. ‘Old Ghost’ from RAZOR WIRE and ‘Lace’
off the more recent GOLD RUSH album were astutely chosen for the aforementioned
surrounding, setting the tone for a set eventually pushing an hour and half
long before reaching an impressive crescendo.
That climax came in the trio of main set closer and two
encore numbers. An improvised backing band (you know who you are) was hastily
assembled to blast out the biting revenge piece ‘Burning Down Birmingham’. On this occasion, a whole city facing
Hannah’s wrath, not just an ill-advised individual. Following the immediate
encore invite, ‘Parchman’ had its
painfully emotive but utterly brilliant airing, stirring the primal instincts
of human reaction. To close, who needs amplification when you can unplug from
the mains and plug into the natural vacuous acoustics of a high ceilinged hall.
If you were not jaw-dropped by an artist pacing around a room belting out ‘Howlin' Bones’, then therapy is available.
Earlier in the set, the live version of ‘Gold Rush’ probably peaked in the
rankings of the original songs. Away from these, a version of Tom Waits’ ‘Take It With Me’ was adorable, likewise
a dip into the unrecorded world of her song-writing father Walt and a slightly
taboo song back home that he wrote with Dylan Le Blanc’s father titled ‘Yankee Bank’. Of course, Don was not let
off the hook from returning, and it was fitting that he joined Hannah on the
song they co-wrote ‘Shouldn’t Hurt So Bad’.
Corporate sponsored soulless venues may be the inevitable
more lucrative desire for touring musicians, but they can never replace the
richly textured raw interaction that the quirky pop-up stages provide. Whatever
course their career takes them on, these nights will define the artist.
Thinking outside the box may be driven by survival but it leads to the most
wonderful of musical experiences for fans offering a lifeline to live music.
Hannah Aldridge and Don Gallardo feed off this. Those heading to Appleby Magna
on a wet and blustery Good Friday evening had the perfect holiday feast.
www.dongallardo.com
