Thea Gilmore has found her new post-pandemic solo format a productive route for a career spanning well over twenty years. Three albums and at least four tours have materialised since the brief surfacing of her temporary moniker Afterlight. The West Midlands regular hosts tour shows with twin Birmingham venues The Glee Club and MAC welcoming her on three occasions since 2021. This time it was the turn of Wolverhampton to roll out the welcome mat, and a sold out sign weeks in advance proved it was a popular choice.
When an artist goes solo there is no place to hide. Gilmore thrives in this setting using her stature and experience to sidestep any blips. The key to this phase, that has been attracting new admirers, is how repeated rays of creativity beam from the music, words and performance. The middle of this trio is most pertinent to one of England's most literary inspired songwriters. She is not afraid to insert spoken word into her work and each song lyric imparts meaningful phrases and word patterns
Musically, Gilmore embraces technology. She has referred to the synth and loops as 'her cheaper band' and they add an innovative layer without overpowering the core sound treating her well over time. The voice took a downturn a few weeks ago with the need to reschedule several shows. You wouldn't have guessed from the floor of Newhampton Arts Centre. The rest may have even re-fuelled it. One particularly stellar moment from the show was the unaccompanied 'Josephine Knots' which narrowly won the audience vote for the chosen song on the set. The infamous 52-48 margin was on the right side tonight.
Covers albums can split opinion down the middle. Thea Gilmore released the third of her career recently, so there is no doubt where she resides. You can sense why other music means so much to her and the craft put into reinterpreting the work of others shines through. The latest album didn't smother the setlist, with only two tracks carefully selected. The marvellous way she took temporary ownership of 'Killing Moon' and added value to McCulloch's original shone through. Likewise only Thea Gilmore could hear a folk song in 'Sweet Child of Mine' and turn it into one.
The stunning twin peaks of this show were the two pre-encore songs. 'The Lower Road' came across as a mellow slice of luxury, while the passion and sentiment packed into the part song-part prose 'The Bright Service' uplifts mere mortals. The rhythmic pattern of 'army, tsunami, pharmacy and calm me' melts me every time.
Thea Gilmore's values season every song she writes. Early in the set 'Don't Dim Your Light for Anyone' champions the power of originality, while closing number 'I Lift My Lamp' had to be resurrected from 2016 to hold a torch to Stateside comrades. I'm sure many people in the audience share her values.
The rest of the ninety-minute set featured popular mash ups, Patreon premieres, familiar favourites and one emotionally driven commission. 'She Speaks in Colours' possesses an evocative song title and its back story is touching. It regularly appears on set lists so pop along to a show to find out more.
Whether on electric, acoustic or looping or not, the sound is crisp and bores deep into your spirit. The crowning moment of a Thea Gilmore show is the creative spark emanated. That spark has the power to ignite a dormant urge in any recipient. Leaving the show with a desire to read, write, sing, play, make or just think differently is a testimony to what connective art can do. Thea Gilmore connects in this way.