Gig Review: Katherine Priddy - Town Hall, Birmingham. Saturday 9th May 2026

  “Town Hall, eh.”

Three words Katherine Priddy admitted she never envisioned saying or maybe there was an inkling that one day the path may lead here, at least in her dreams. From the Cafes - Ort and Kitchen Garden, through the Hare, the Glee and St. Paul’s, the journey has been short in miles but long in effort. There was a stopping off point at the Symphony Hall last November, a warm up for when you own the big stage, instead of sharing it as an invited support. It was fitting that Birmingham Town Hall was the final date on a whirlwind tour. Time to regroup after a hectic start to 2026 when the success of These Frightening Machines altered the landscape for Katherine Priddy. 

Who wasn’t willing those last half a dozen tickets to be sold on Saturday afternoon? The sold out sign would have been the crowning glory. At least this iconic venue was sold out several times over in spirit.

By the time Priddy took to the stage at 8:50 an anticipated appetite filled the air. The stage format for this show was a trio with regular guitarist George Boomsma joined by new addition Andrew Stuart-Buttle on synth-keys, viola, violin and mandolin. A bigger sound than usual began to emerge though the budget would need expanding to match the grandeur of the latest studio effort.

Fourteen songs from the last three albums formed the eighty-minute long setlist. However it was the way they were supremely presented, eloquently introduced and affably dealt that defined a special night on many fronts. 

Katherine Priddy adds an innate literary side to her majestic songwriting. The writing is strong on metaphorical content, packed with beautifully expressed lyrical nuggets and curated reflections ranging from real life to Greek Mythology. The latter is gloriously channeled through the self explanatory ‘Icarus’,  ‘Atlas’ and ‘Eurydice’, all containing acute modern day analogies. 

At the other end of the spectrum ‘A Boat on the River’ and ‘A Matter of Time’ thrive on personal introspection. The former frames a desire for a canal life experience, while the latter dives deep into becoming thirty. There was also a curveball moment on 'I'm Always Willing' when Scott Matthews was invited to join on duet vocals, a fellow Midlands artist who she has opened for and hugely admired for years. 

As close to perfection as this set was, two developmental ideas jumped out. Firstly, exploring how a bigger sound could be incorporated to use the breadth of these larger venues. Secondly, the penultimate song ‘Could this Be Enough?’ was sung with an unplayed guitar still slung across the shoulder. Putting it to one side would change the vocal dynamic and be a positive diversion. Therefore the stage show would begin to create its own variety and identity.

Humour came across in the quip “dating men with no postcards” during the introduction to ‘Letters from a Travelling Man’. Towards the end of the show, the sentiment of the opening words was once again reiterated in “playing here is every Brummie kid musician’s dream” especially pertinent as the local hero standing tall on stage was having hers fully realised. 

Joe Hicklin opened the evening with a thirty-minute set of song and poetry. He has plied the local folk circuit for many years and is now accruing acclaim in a different guise as part of the duo Big Special. Friday 3rd September will see him and Priddy reunited on the same bill at Moseley Folk and Arts Festival. Another regular stopping off haunt on this momentous journey. 

There were moments during this gig when closing your eyes took you back to one of the many intimate gigs of the past. The warmth and delicate nature reduced the grand old place  to a cosy setting. Re-open your eyes and reality returned. The Town Hall loved Katherine Priddy and she radiantly glowed with humble appreciation. The unknown variable of tomorrow can be parked. This was a moment to savour. 

Setlist:

Frightening Machines

Atlas

Matches

Boat on the River

Eurydice

Hurricane

I'm Always Willing

Sirius

Madeleine

A Matter of Time

Letters From a Travelling Man

Icarus

Could This Be Enough?

Indigo