Over the last nine years of catching Blair Dunlop live, he has shared the bill with a string of similar artists across the spectrum. Names like Larkin Poe, Carrivick Sisters, Emma Stevens and Kat Gilmour come to mind as starters. Most of these were casual acquaintances with only the latter gravitating closely to his work as part of one of the band set ups. This year the theme continued, albeit with an intensity not seen before from an artist that has tended to plough the solo route while forging a career away from his family ties as son of folk legend Ashley Hutchings. Warwickshire-based folk singer Ellie Gowers was added to the current tour as the opening artist, but the distance travelled in a short time has been far further than playing a few tunes to warm an audience up. A near sold out Kitchen Garden show upon a return to Birmingham left those in attendance with three things to ponder: the breadth of Blair Dunlop's live credentials, the potential of Ellie Gowers and the future of the duet.
This night had all the hallmark of an artist playing to a known gallery. No set list, a smattering of requests, bags of impish wit, a sly preview to the future and a titanic display of what an accomplished singer-songwriter-guitarist Blair Dunlop is. The latest release doing brisk business at the merch table was the live album recorded in Australia. The commercial aspect to the gig benefited from two breaks across three sets, but few would argue to the entertainment on show from a meagre investment for what proved a lengthy evening.
The changes alluded to earlier were the several songs at the end of the night where Ellie Gowers accepted the invite back to the stage to engage in what proved a raft of impressive duets. A natural chemistry evolved cumulating in an unplugged cover of the Gillian Welch classic 'Dark Turn of Mind' to provide a fitting finale. Prior to this, the pair appeared to drift back to Laurel Canyon circa 1972 slipping into a retro folk-rock duet style like something that would have graced the stage of The Troubadour on any given night. Interesting indeed and a little different to the individual style of both especially Ellie's traditional folk feel.
There was no complaint here at the inclusion of Ellie Gowers for the show. She was a mid-pandemic discovery from the smartly staged Beardy Folk Festival in September 2020. This was followed up by a debut solo Kitchen Garden gig as things started to open up last summer. 2022 is shaping up to be a special year with a debut album on the way, a slot at Moseley Folk Festival secured and a further headline show back at the Kitchen in November. Busy times for an artist really starting to develop as a fine songwriter blessed with a beautiful voice.
There are so many facets to a Blair Dunlop live performance that don't do justice to any post-show write up. Needless to say he was on top form and firing on all the cylinders of his repertoire. The back catalogue is growing and a carefree approach can be a breath of fresh air when compared to cynical orchestration. A streak of familiarity and excellence underlines a performance that you never know where it's going to veer. All part of the charm and appeal of an artist that can pop up anywhere on the circuit without you ever feeling he is truly chained to a scene.
Leaving a show with a smile on your face is something to be treasured. Letting Blair Dunlop loose with his natural talent and random demeanour goes a long way to such an experience. Teaming up with Ellie Gowers proved an ideal match, and a front row seat is booked to see where Blair Dunlop heads next as he begins a second decade of being a truly independent and free spirited artist.