Last Friday evening, live music came back into my life. I was ridiculously excited to be going out to an actual gig with real live musicians playing right there in front of me - it had been about 14 months since the last time that happened.
The event was a (socially-distanced) showcase of three local singer-songwriters, at the Met Lounge in Peterborough, a small, grassroots venue in the city centre.
First up was Mark Stevens, a local musician with a great beard and some very accomplished song-writing, in what I suppose is a country-tinged folk style. He played through five originals (most previously unheard) and two covers. Mark admitted that doing his own material was quite new for him, but I was impressed with what he gave us. His writing is honest and true to himself, with no affectation.
His song Santa Fe was a highlight, mixing the story of time in an American city - always great and atmospheric song-writing fodder - with Mark's down-to-Earth local inflection. Another was a very moving piece about a bench where his granddad used to sit. I'm still thinking of that one a few days later.
Next, Chloe Lorentzen, someone I've written about before and who just keeps going from strength to strength. She played a really engaging set, which apparently was being recorded live to be released as part of an LP boxset ... As a live performer, Chloe strikes a really good balance between professional confidence and self-effacing modesty. She is very relatable while still standing out as absolutely talented.
Chloe's live versions of some of her 2021 releases (Birthdays in June and On That Day) stood out to me - she absolutely nailed them, but somehow also brought them a new dimension despite them being stripped back on a solo acoustic guitar. That's the paradox that can make performances like this so special.
There were also some great new tunes which demonstrated a new level of maturity to her song-writing. And Chloe had the audience in the palm of her hand as she encouraged us to support her with backing vocals. I am really looking forward to hearing the studio versions of these songs.
And finally, Joseph Porter-Bolger, who was the mastermind behind the gig and bringing the performers together.
Joe is a captivating guy, and a really interesting musical character. He's a voice coach and clearly a classically trained singer, with a mesmerising counter-tenor voice and some very technically-accomplished playing.
His songs are complex and not always instantly accessible, but as you listen you see a very dry humour and again a really likeable modesty. Joe's quiet asides were engaging, but in a very different way to the two previous performers.
He started by launching into a back-to-back medley of two songs - quite a brave move in this setting - pausing then to switch guitars (and ask us to keep applauding while he did so). It was all very understated, but the kind of performance that you look back on later and start to realise the level of skill you've witnessed.
All in all, this was a great night, and a great way to get back into live music. No going back now.