Too much of her material was spoiled by bland subject matter (positivity, conservation), a reliance on the rhyming dictionary (consternation and Victoria Station, anyone?) and, worst of all, dullness. The line “f*** your company policy”, in Artificial, came as a genuine, quite pleasant, shock.
Tilston’s voice suited the band’s jazzy arrangements and was reminiscent of Pentangle’s Jacqui McShee, whom she credited as an influence when introducing traditional song Willy O’Winsbury – which was disappointingly played for laughs.
There were enjoyable moments, including a dreamy number on the piano and a two-part harmony performed with singer Cate Ferris in the middle of the crowd.
Old Tom Cat was a gutsy and clever paean to Leonard Cohen, Silent Women made a mature, eloquent protest and Seagull set a witty metaphor for love flapping about the bedroom. That the latter descended into a Natasha Bedingfield-esque “I love you” outro was bemusing, to say the least.
Having said that, Komedia was packed to the corners with an admiring audience, who enjoyed the whole set, singing and clapping along joyfully to the band’s frankly banal encore of Good World.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here