LIVE REVIEW

This is a little retrospective now having sat in my 'drafts' folder for nearly a month, but i thought that what with her playing at All Tomorrows parties and green man festival this year some of you should know what you'll be missing out on if you don't see her.
what better way to start off the new year gig calendar than with www.tohellwith.com album of the year winner Joanna Newsom, replete with The London Symphony Orchestra? perhaps it was the grand setting of The Barbican, but from the start of the evening the atmosphere seemed filled with an excitement and anticipation not often felt at live events.

Alasdair Roberts opened proceedings with a solo set that was a tad too intimate for the size of the venue – I had seen him just before Christmas in sewer smelling ‘the fly’ venue and he was excellent – but tonight he seems a little nervous, still he holds it together to bring some good moments of folkiness with songs from his new album ‘The amber gatherers’, and provides a relaxing lulling introduction to the main event.

A short break later and from the wings appear the myriad of players that form the lso; strings, horns, drums, conductor; the full outfit. The harp sits waiting, taller than you’d imagine, but grand and majestic, then Joanna walks onto stage, a strange mixture of innocent child and kooky beautiful woman. She totters across on high heels, sits at the harp and looks to the conductor. What ensues is the entirety of 'Y's' played in order. Now, those of you who may be unconvinced by the album or its deserved position as tohellwith.com's album of the year ain't seen or heard anything yet. The thing with watching Newsom is that you start to realize just how outrageously talented she is – singing & playing a massively complex instrument with intense rhythms at the same time. To round things off nicely even Bill Callahan (boyfriend and 'Smog') turned up for to growl low harmonies on 'Only skin'.

The perfection of the night didn't end there; after a short interval Joanna came back on and treated us to some solo songs from first album 'The milk eyed mender' such as 'Sadie' and 'Clam, cockle, cowrie' and also treated us to a new song, which reminded me of old 70's psych-folk band Comus in its style.

So, Joanna Newsom live was quite simply the best, most satisfying, electrifying and awe inspiring musical event I have ever seen; anyone would be a complete fool to miss her if they had the opportunity.

Scott-tohellwith

www.joannanewsom.net