The last time #TEAMw21 visited The Fiddlers Elbow it was to see Dexeter and Katie Nicholas which gives an idea of how long ago it was. The walls decorated with black platters of vinyl, with 7 inch singles festooned the ceiling, Tonight's presentation from Talentbanq in association with Black Deer and all their brands ( Radio & Festival & Live) based on an idea from Emilia Quinn would commemorate America's Independence Day by celebrating their music as performed by UK artists. It would be an ambitiously curated evening with 4 artists each scheduled to play 30 minute sets, leaving only 15 minutes for changeovers.
First up on the night would be Oxfordshire's finest Ags Connolly, quite possibly our most authentic Americana male singer, he all but lives and breathes Americana. Now also a published author in the most American of genres, the detective novel, Ags would drop one early little surprise on us by removing his hat before playing a note. Now #TEAMw21 had always assumed that he was hiding a rich head of hair in keeping with his fine beard so it was a shock to see a finely shaved dome beneath his hat!
Wasting no time it was straight into his latest record "Siempre" for "Headed South For A While", his solid acoustic strum his only accompaniment. The audience would prove to be knowledgeable and appreciative of all the acts, which really added to the whole evening. This set would prove a chance to dip into quite a few of Ags's albums, "Wrong Again" from the album of the same name, could not have sounded more Americana had we been at a bar in Austen. Ags's latest album has a definite Tex Mex feel to it and his guitar playing took on a definite Mexican twang for "Tell Me What You Were Going To Tell Me", which played out an intensely real lyrical drama.
If there was a pantheon of the greatest songs written by UK Americana artists then undoubtedly "Get Out Of My Mind" would be in there. Clearly loved by a number of the audience who were compelled to sing along, this was both cleverly written and deftly performed by Ags who was able to imbue the song with the correct feelings of angst - it was duly greeted to raptuous applause. Ags is as much a fan of Americana as he is a skilled performer of it, his admiration for James Hand comes through as a true fan on "I Saw James Hand" as he reels off the times he saw him. It keeps his name alive and inspires the curious to go check him out which can't be a bad thing.
From "Siempe" the plaintive conversational piece "I'd Be Good For You" would see Ags pouring his heart out while the clever wordplay of "I Hope You Are Unhappy" with it's big guitar intro would turn into an unlikely singalong. His set would close with another mass singalong for "Slow Burner" getting the evening off to an excellent start.
Second on the night would be Dom Glynn,who transported us back in time to the era of Hank Williams, supported by his band The Sunday Best including the most permanently smiling drummer. an impeccably dressed moustachioed fiddle player and a long haired bassist. They would prove to be a most tight unit.
Dressed in a white shirt with red roses embellished on the lapels, Dom looked impossibly young on the night to sound so old! Their sound, distinctly old time but with a modern energy, would see Carmen Ruiz Vicente drive things forward with her understated percussion, while Dr. Duncan Menzies provided wild fiddle playing backed up the bass of Jack Trouble!. The opener "Cain's Blues" - with the line
"He is so able, I’ve got Cain’s Blues" would sees Dom's vocals joined by Jack and Duncan on the chorus.
The tribute to getting drunk "Tonight I Think I'll Do it All Again" would start slowly with Dom speaking over a softly strummed guitar - as he sung the title, the Fiddler's Elbow let out a mass of approving cheers to the thought of oncoming drunkenness, while the band were again off with their infectious mixture which although new to many onlookers already found them joining in on the chorus!
Announcing his output as "Goodtime Music" the somewhat bizarre wish to be James Dean's wife was addressed in the next song -
"I will be Mrs Dean
"I will be Jimmy's queen!"
A more traditional love song would follow in his recent single "I Wish Time Would Slow Down", Dom provided what can only be described as constant toe tapping music you could not help but tap along. A strong new song "Gin Makes Me Cry Whiskey Makes Me Fight" mixed clever wordplay, harmonies and wrapped them up in great old time tune. The all round jauntiness of the tune lightening up the high drama of the lyrics.
"She Ain't Loving Me Today" would deal with when you've has a "Lover's tiff", a quick shuffle with Dom playing the bemused, confused party not sure of what he has done wrong. Dom's latest single "Singing To Survive" was another fast paced romp
By now things were getting hot, the fiddle player needing to fan himself down, prior to Dom starting "Baa Baa Black Sheep " on his guitar, which would turn into a clapping stomp "He Don't Know The Blues At All"
Leaving us with a sloppy loving song "Get Back In My Bed Where You Belong", Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best more than delivered on their good time music promise
Having already seen Savannah Gardner play solo and as a duo, tonight #TEAMw21 would see her play with her full band. With bassist Dale Davies from last weeks Green Note show now joined by Amy Vix on electric guitar, with a fiddle player and drummer as well. It was in some ways a slightly surreal set for when things started it was impossible for #TEAMw21 to discern any noise coming from the guitar and fiddle, while on stage Savannah could not hear her own vocals which was the one thing we could hear, resulting in her singing ever louder as things progressed.
Savannah would start with her familiar style of strumming as she introduced her opening number "Recovering Good Girl" - so with a sound dominated by percussion and Savannah's voice and guitar it was a slightly odd start, Savannah's effort and concentration on her vocals would see her head switching to either side of the microphone.
A fast drum intro, bass and now audible fiddle would signal the start to "Deep Blue Sea" a song that would see Savannah fire out lyrics at a rapid rate. It would be the band that would now provide the backing for Savannah and her introduction.
"Outlaw", the tale of real life outlaw Belle Star now had a prominent fiddle section adding to the drama. You cannot but like Savannah's song "It'll All Come Out In the Wash", it was hard to describe before but now replete with a fiddle solo it was gloriously even more madcap and over the top than ever.
Savannah would take off her guitar and switch with Amy for "City Of Cowboys". Freed from guitar duties Savannah was free to walk around the tiny stage. Later though she would be found clasping the mic stand with one hand, while holding the mic in the other for the a capella start to the final verse.
The chorus each time was a drunken bar room singalong with the audience unsolicited playing their part. It was back to guitar duties for Savannah for "Heaven Is A Feeling", initially just Savannah, on this classic country sounding song, before being joined first by bass and then drums as the sound started to build, all the time Savannah would wear a big old smile.
Where would an Americana show be without a honky tonk and in "I'll Be Missing You" the audience were presented with a chance to generally stomp, clap and "Yeehah". It would effortlessly join into "Dead End Relationship" which managed to incorporate a bass solo and would see Savannah's hair flailing from side to side until her whole face was obscured. It was fast and furious and a fitting way to end things. Poor sound is an occupational hazzard, we'll see Savannah and her band properly at her album launch on the 26th Sept at the Camden Club. For tonight it was undoubtedly 100% effort just not yielding quite the sound she would have hoped for.
The sound issues did not feed through into Emilia Quinn's set, which came through loud and clear, in fact it wouldn't have been a surprise if the nearby Roundhouse had popped by to ask if we could turn it down a smidge as they couldn't hear their band!! All joking aside this was exhilarating stuff by the little lady from Leeds who was a good few inches taller than when we last met with her the aid of some startling high rise footwear.
Opening to the American anthem played out by guitarist John W Doyle in true Hendrix fashion, it was immediately time to kick of into opening riff of "Magpie". Emilia sounded on superb form looking supremely confident in her tinted shades, ready to rock. With a searing guitar solo as well, this set was already taking no prisoners.
Immediately launching into "Daddy's Song", a prominent pedal steel dominated the sound along with the shuffling drum beat and in one step we had gone from rock to deep country, different sound same attitude!
For an evening entitled "Outlaws & Independents", a natural song for the evening would be "Outlaw" - "A chance to get sassy" as Emilia would introduce it and her delivery did seem to have a certain extra swagger to it and power on the "I want your love" plea. Emilia had the crowd singing along on the chorus and the Fiddlers Elbow was undeniably the most rawkus place in London.
An unreleased song "High On Life" had an acoustic intro and once again highly audible pedal steel making it Emilia's most overtly country song to date albeit with her own rocking stamp plastered on it - definitely a song to watch out for in future months, It elicited a number of "Yeehahs" such was the country feel.
There was a short acoustic introduction to "Mama", before the electric guitar kicked in to send us off rocking once more, although a quiet acoustic middle section would reduce the Fiddler's Elbow to a quiet hush .
A couple of notes from Emilia's acoustic guitar would focus the rooms attention and would also signal the opening to "Nothing To Lose" at first almost in a blues style until the line
"Through my veins" is screamed, kick starting the band into action
Things went pure Americana with "Without You" , this was a "big" sound and had all the hallmarks of being a future single - immediately making an impact. It all comes from the recent rich vein of songwriting that Emilia finds herself in. A revisit to 2020's "Mistakes" retained it's familiar opening acoustic riff but it was now a full band rocker. It would lead almost straight into the fast pace rocking frenzy of "Mr Shame", there were phones being waved, and a blonde pogoing blur brushed past us which we later noted was Savannah truly getting into the swing of things! Emilia would go back to back with her guitarists - it was marvellous!!
Emilia would close her main set out with "High", the pedal steel shining through to give an extra dimension to the sound. By the end it was an all out assault on the senses with lights and music.
The encore was unusual in that Emilia chose to debut a new song "Does She Know?", it was strange because to do this she had to leave a pretty solid crowd pleaser in "Girl Talk" out of the set to do so. Here at #TEAMw21 we thought that this was the sign of an artist so enthused with something only worked up into a band number that afternoon, that she immediately wanted to share it, rather than play a song she had played many times before - that's a confidence we love.
All in all a rather spectacular little evening - same time next year?
PHOTOS BY: COLIN JONES
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