There is nothing quite like music, especially in its live format, for experiencing life in the absolute present. Getting into a zone where nothing else matters for a defined period is a real treat and one associated with the music of Katie Spencer. Over the last few years through an expanding live exposure and an increasing collection of recorded material, the music of this Yorkshire-based singer-songwriter and exceptional guitarist continues to beguile and transfix listeners that tune in. Tonight was the most extensive live exposure to date with a full 90-minute twin set gig virtually doubling up on previous live experiences seen, namely a co-headline slot in Coventry and a set at Beardy Folk Festival in 2019. With a solo platform afforded by the Kitchen Garden, this prodigious talent duly mesmerised a healthy Birmingham gathering.
In line with many artists edging back onto the live circuit in the summer of 2021, a recurring theme of the inspiration and the challenging is evolving as the truth behind the last eighteen months for a creative performer emerges. For Katie, we had the joy of a new song born out of a lockdown view from her new hometown of Bradford in 'Silence on the Hillside' and the fruits of her dream session with two members of John Martyn's band. This session resulted in the latest Katie Spencer release, a three track EP of re-interpreted John Martyn tracks comprising of the title song 'Hurt in Your Heart' alongside 'Couldn't Love You More' and 'Small Hours'. The first two of this trio were shared with a Birmingham audience this evening and confirmed her eminence as an authentic interpreter of one of English folk music's most enigmatic and celebrated artists from the last half a century.
One of these tracks saw Katie switch guitars to electric and thus a spine tingling demo of how to caress and charm a tune out of the beast with the most delicate of playing. This was repeated once more in the show to leave a memory of something special. Whether on electric or straightforward acoustic, the guitar playing of Katie Spencer is an true gift to savour.
While the new song and intepretative release emerged as lockdown positives, we heard about the challenges including seeking employment in a conventional supermarket setting to make ends meet. Maybe a little sad with true creative talent being cruelly curtailed and denied a platform to prosper commercially. Hopefully an upturn will lead to a re-alignment of economic activity, and surely there will be a line a mile long to book Katie Spencer once the world confidently re-opens on a large scale.
During a gig where Katie's inter-song chat grew exponentially more confident and informative than previous appearances, the jigsaw pieces of her career were put together including a couple of songs inspired by the city of Hull where she grew up and was introduced as her home up until the recent past. These included a personal piece titled 'Shannon Road' and a commissioned project called 'Edge of the Land' focussing on the erosion of the coastal part of previous home.
Of the two main Katie Spencer original recordings to surface to date, the 2019 album WEATHER BEATEN was represented the most with the title track joining 'Hello Sun', 'Helsa' and 'The Hunter' as set list inserts. Listening to the last one live drew comparisons in delivery to Laura Marling. Not an associate previously recognised but it certainly came to the fore this evening. While none of the songs from recollection were shared during this gig there is merit in starting your past Katie Spencer journey with her debut EP GOOD MORNING SKY, which first crossed my path in 2017.
As much as her evolving history and undisputed potential to rival serious folk players starts to define Katie Spencer, it is the presence of the here and now where her music intrinsically flourishes. This is a young performer hailing John Martyn and Martin Simpson as her heroes and making a jolly laudable effort to place her own playing, writing and performing skills on a pedestal growing in stature with each show. This Kitchen Garden gig may be a small piece in an eventual large jigsaw, but for 90 minutes it was an enormous performance in terms of aura and delicate craft.