Hattie Briggs: Young Runaway
Tour & Album Launch Night, with support act The Black Feathers, Stroud
Subscription Rooms, Saturday 26th March 2016
Entering the
Subscription Rooms’ ballroom this evening you are greeted by the crowds
streaming in to find their seats. The stage is partially set up; a variety of
musical instruments are balanced in their stands; a large projector screen at
the back of the stage displays “Hattie Briggs Young Runaway Tour”; at the back
of the room the merchandise table has organised piles of CDs, vinyl and signed
photographs. The room is buzzing with excitement, anticipation and
conversation. The time reaches 8:00pm; it is time for tonight proceedings to
begin.
The Black Feathers
The support act this
evening is Cirencester based duo The Black Feathers. Sian Chandler and Ray
Hughes have been performing together for around four years. Deciding to open
with a song entitled Goodbye Tomorrow,
a gentle song about putting worries aside, it sets the mood perfectly with
vocals harmonising and gentle guitar. Their next song is a cover of Spirit In The Sky. Bouncy guitar chords,
a slower tempo and gorgeous haunting vocals separate this entirely from the
light-hearted version by Gareth Gates & The Kumars. The Black Feathers have
brought originality to the song whilst still maintaining familiarity. They
complete the song with finger clicking and a change in melody; an innovative
transition to The Addams Family theme tune: a clever, humourous twist.
When they introduce
themselves as husband and wife, it comes as no surprise; there is an undeniable
chemistry between the pair which shows in their performance. Homesick, from their debut album Soaked To The Bone, is a beautiful song
about being far away from where you come from and longing to be with the person
you love. Life on the road as a band can be a lonely place and they clearly
count their blessings that they are able to do this together.
As they introduce All For You they jokingly remark that
you only need to write a happy song once every thirty-five years and that
Disney films are shown on repeat for inspiration. The song itself is a story of
an undeniably strong relationship between two people; performed with genuine sincerity.
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| The Black Feathers: Sian Chandler & Ray Hughes |
As they ironically
chose to start with Goodbye Tomorrow
their closing song is Open Book, the
first song they wrote together. The song is from their EP Strangers We Meet and further summarises the duo’s strength both
personally and professionally.
Ray continues to tune
his guitar and Sian remarks that “there will
not be tuning on the album”, the humour is greeted warmly by the crowd.
The Black Feathers
leave the stage to well deserved applause. For both established fans and those
discovering their music for the first time, there is no doubt that they have
not only got the evening off to a fine start, but that future audience will
seek out the heartfelt, haunting harmonies of this intriguing, inseparable duo.
7/10
Set List
- Goodbye Tomorrow
- Spirit In The Sky (Cover)
- Homesick
- Arclight
- Down By The River
- All For You
- Open Book
Hattie Briggs & Band
During the interval
the large screen at the back of the stage comes to life; showing photographs
from Hattie’s recent recording sessions, promotional photo-shoots, stills from
her music videos and various recent gigs. A tall, cuddly giraffe, identical to
one in a photograph of a busking session at Stroud Framers’ Market has been
placed on the front left corner of the stage. It is an amusing and bemusing
addition, perhaps it is Hattie’s lucky mascot? A programme given out at the
start of the evening reveals details of Hattie’s achievements so far. Set out
on two pages of A5 sized paper, in just over two years, the list of
achievements is incredible. From airplay on local radio and BBC Radio 2; to
high-rated reviews in established music magazines Q and Maverick; to playing an
impressive 104 tour dates in 2015, Hattie has already laid a strong foundation
for her music career. When Hattie launched her debut EP in November 2013 she
had an audience of just twenty, tonight she has an audience of three hundred
and fifty.
Tonight she will be
performing with six other musicians, a sort of “Folk Club 7”, if you will. One
by one they file onto the stage, poised in place for a few seconds; then Hattie
enters to rapturous applause.
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| Hattie Briggs |
Opening with new song Here’s To Hoping Hattie plays a ukulele,
beautifully painted with a blue and white crashing wave design. It adds
lightness to the words; from what could have been a potentially sad song to one
of optimism about the future. On Your Way,
first previewed at last year’s Nailsworth Festival with cellists Barney
Morse-Brown and Asha McCarthy, is now performed with a full range of
instruments. Their musical underpinning remains but backing vocals by Henry
Fraser add richness to the song.
Hattie introduces the
next song by talking about the importance of friendship; someone who has
supported her from the start, her best friend Tilly. Apparently, they did not
like each other when they first met aged six, until Hattie found they both
liked playing football. The two have been firm friends ever since, so as a
thank you Hattie composed and performed Tilly’s
Song for her friend’s twenty-first Birthday party. Tilly is in the audience
this evening and glows with both embarrassment and pride; especially when other
members of the audience point out where she is. The song was first recorded on
Hattie’s debut EP My Shepherds Hut,
but it was reworked last year to incorporate banjo and backing vocals by Henry
Fraser, and double bass by Jack Cookson. The song is better for it and is an
ultimate tribute to a long-lasting friendship.
 |
| Guitar: Henry Fraser; Ukulele: Hattie Briggs |
The next song has a
bitter-sweet story. Old Eyes featured
on debut album Red & Gold is
about Hattie’s dog Panda. In September he very sadly he passed away aged 16.
She had written the song a couple of years before to symbolise how much she
valued his company, and although he would not remember her she would always
remember him. The music video is Hattie’s most viewed on YouTube, with over
15,000 views. It shows Hattie taking Panda for a walk around Stroud based
locations including Selsley, Rodborough, and Painswick. As you listen to the
song you can really imagine the large, cuddly bear-like dog curled up at the
front of the stage; a heart-warming tribute to an unforgettable companion.
After performing You Only Live Once Hattie says that she recently performed the song at a care home. However the residents did not seem that impressed; clearly failing to grasp the unintentional irony.
For Castle On The Sand Hattie walks to the back of the stage and takes a seat at the grand piano. This song is about a friend of hers who repeatedly had their heart broken and has reduced people who have heard it to tears. Tonight is no exception. The grand piano and sweeping cellos add to the melancholy heartbreak.
Hattie introduces the
final two band members: Jon Green on percussion and Matt Park on pedal steel, a
multi-stringed electric steel guitar which lies horizontally on a stand in
front of him. The instrument is a brand new addition to this album. It left the
rest of the team opened mouthed during the pre-production stage. It really does
add an airy, light feel to the songs; including Share Your Heart, the final song of the first half. Hattie remarks
that this is the first song she wrote that she was really proud of. As one of
the stand-out tracks from her first album, its lyrics seem more significant
than ever before; the Hattie who wrote this song has now truly been able to
share her heart.
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| Double Bass: Jack Cookson; Pedal Steel: Matt Park |
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| Jon Green on Percussion |
The second half begins and Hattie comes back to the stage wearing a stunning blue and white dress. The colours fit well with the next song, The Lake, whose lyrics symbolise the freedom and movement of water. Travelling is also the theme of Lift Me Up; filling a vintage suitcase with possessions and preparing for life on the road.
Hattie wishes that the
next song, All About Love, could
become part of a soundtrack to a Romantic Comedy. She played it at a friends’ wedding last year
with both the bride and groom expecting her to perform but each had planned it
as a surprise for the other. The couple are in the audience (and still married)
so clearly everything worked out in the end. It is perhaps the most romantic of
all her songs; the cellos and grand piano are rightly prominent.
A holiday in Italy
 |
| Jack Cookson & Hattie Briggs |
Double bassist Jack
steps from the back of the stage to stand alongside Hattie to perform Have We Met Before? Hattie wrote the
song as a thank you to all the people who have helped her get the point in her
career which she is today. Jack provides guitar, harmonica and vocals. He has a
rich, deep tone to his voice; it complements Hattie’s vocals perfectly.
Although cellist Barney and Asha remain on the stage, just for a moment you for
get they are there; all eyes and ears remain engaged on the two singers, who
are very much centre stage. Jack has just been nominated for the Radio 2 Young
Folk Award, just as Hattie was a mere two years ago. He is a definite talent to
look out for in the future.
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| Cellos: Barney Morse-Brown & Asha McCarthy |
Still With Hope I See, with just grand piano and cellos is a
minimalist approach, but it is all the song needs; capitalising on the
acoustics of the ballroom. The audience is so silent you could hear a pin fall
to the ground. It is conceivably the strongest song from Red & Gold and never fails to capture the hearts and souls of
audiences. It is mesmerising.
Hattie comes to the
front of the stage and announces that the next song will be the last of the
evening, a cover of Sting’s Fields Of
Gold. A very important song in her life; she grew up listening to Eva
Cassidy’s version. It provided influence and inspiration for her desire to
write and perform songs. It was therefore a great honour when Eva’s brother Dan
played violin on the track for her first album. She admits that this is the
song she has performed the most yet, far from being tired and clichéd, she
sings like the words have woven themselves into her heart. As she strums the
last guitar string the audience erupts into thunderous applause.
The band line up and
after a few slightly awkward bows take position once more for the encore.
Hattie takes this opportunity to thank everyone for coming, for those involved
with the album and the organisers of tonight’s concert. She says thanks most of
all to her Mum, who throughout the evening worked tirelessly; showing people to
their seats and working on the merchandise stall. It is on this note that she
dedicates the final song, Godspeed,
to all her supporters. To all the people who have helped her along the way,
from her parents, her friend Tilly, the couple from the wedding anecdote, music
industry experts, and fans she has inspired along the way. Godspeed was written about her brother leaving home and the sense
of nostalgia Hattie felt about the travels and adventures they would no longer
share together.
Tonight’s performance,
with the exception of a few minor technical issues, felt like a live recording
of the album, with all seven musicians utilised perfectly. The tracks from Red & Gold are the strongest from
that album and Hattie performed them better than she ever has before. The
transition onto the next stage of her career is now clear. However, rather than
travelling alone, it is a case of “Godspeed with
you on the road”, with arrival of better things to come. Here’s To Hoping Hattie Briggs continues to be a (Young) Runaway success.
8.5/10
Set List
- Here’s To Hoping
- On Your Way
- Tilly’s Song
- Old Eyes
- You Only Live Once
- The River
- Castle On The Sand
- Share Your Heart
Interval
- The
- Lift Me Up
- All About Love
- Summertime Man
- Digging To
- Have We Met Before?
- Still With Hope I See
- Fields Of Gold
-
Godspeed
