Lichfield Cathedral was a gorgeous setting to launch the music segment of this city's 2021 cultural festival. This event as a whole found a way to keep the show going and they had booked a perfect accomplice to kick things off - excuse the pun! Like all shows between 21st June and 19th July (hopefully) it was a case of can we tinker enough to proceed. The event organisers worked out that the cathedral could host around 250 comfortably, so it was all systems go to bring Eddi Reader's 40th anniversary tour to the Kingdom of Mercia.
Since live music resurfaced in May, we are getting used to artists opening their set with a comment about a first show in eighteen months. This evening we went back a little further with Eddi Reader announcing that it has been two years since playing live. She then proceeded to be brave enough to play without a set list relying on the spiritual surroundings to help out with any blank lyric moments.
The format of this gig was Eddi and her accompanying four-piece band playing a single set for just a few minutes short of two hours. Well worth the investment, even if you paid a little premium to enhance its viability due to restrictions. The band consisted of four experienced musicians, each playing their acoustic instruments in a consummate style to support the dynamic vocals of a singer capable of swinging along the song spectrum like she has done over the last forty years.
Whether you are a keen fan of her music or casually recall her as topping the charts in1988, you leave an Eddi Reader show fully conversant in what she is about. The presentational style is informative, passionate, far reaching and fully absorbing. The chat paints a picture almost as visually as the songs and you leave knowing full well what makes her tick as well a fuelling a life long desire to fulfil a creative dream through the medium of song.
Across an evolving setlist that expanded to well over twenty songs we criss crossed the styles, centuries and pockets of influence. One moment you witness Eddi Reader-the folk archivist and self-confessed Robert Burns nut- , then the switch to a sheen that knocks a popular song out of the park with a touch of glitz and class. There was the odd moment when the lyric memory went blank but the surroundings and band members kept things going alongside a deeply professional performer smoothing the glitches with a seasoned and smoothed elegance.
There was a slight change to her normal band line up. However when you call on the substitute services of top Scottish guitar and mandolin player Innes White to jam along, safe hands are in tow. Working with other high quality folk compatriots such as Karen Matheson and Siobhan Miller puts you in good stead to help out Eddi Reader. The remainder of the band was made up of husband John Douglas also on guitar and mandolin, Kevin McGuire on stand up bass and long standing ever active Scottish singer songwriter Boo Hewardine helping out on guitar and vocals.
We even had Boo Hewardine lead on one song, though 'Patience of Angels', recorded by Eddi in 1994, was one of his compositions. Another songwriter frequently mentioned on the evening was Mark E. Nevin who she was in tandem with when Fairground Attraction shot to fame in 1988. From their award winning album, we had the obligatory 'Perfect' though delivered in a low down Glasgow blues style and the track 'Fairground Attraction' complete with back story. We also ended with a Mark E. Nevin song in 'The Right Place', one intersected with the popular track 'Everybody's Talking'.
Talking of popular tunes we had renditions of 'Moon River' and 'Mona Lisa' when Eddi reminisced about those never to be forgotten family singalongs in 19600s working class Glasgow. All delivered in true theatrical style. While there were plenty of other songs from her back catalogue which at least have a popular twinge to it such as 'Dandelion', 'Hummingbird', 'Dragonflies' and 'My Favourite Dress', it is perhaps the attention she pays to Robert Burns which defines Eddi Reader in the maturer years of a career.
There were plenty of references, stories and songs about the Ayrshire bard during the show. Indeed the peak moment fell into place during the penultimate number as the cathedral shone in its full glory while we listened to the spellbinding 'Ae Fond Kiss'. We were truly blessed for this three minutes. On a more upbeat note, we also had 'Willie Stewart' and 'Charlie is My Darling'. Both of which can be found on the 2013 album THE SONGS OF ROBERT BURNS.
Away from Burns, but still on the old time folk theme, we heard the excellent song 'Macushla (My Darling)' with its Gaelic and century old courting traditions, and the full story behind 'Pangur Ban and the Primrose Lass'. Bringing things more up to date, 'Muddy Water' was a contemporary highlight and 'Pray the Devil Back to Hell' was sung in the perfect place.
To use the words of Sean Lakeman from the first post-lockdown gig, "dusting the rust" was applicable at the start of this show, but by the end the rust was all gone and the shine of Eddi Reader was there for all to see. This was a beautiful show in a beautiful setting and credit must go to the people behind the Lichfield Festival who strived to get the whole thing on. Is there room for one more 'perfect' pun? Yes.