– TOWN HALL, MANCHESTER –
Rumour has it that Laura Marling was paid just £200 a show for the honour of supporting Daniel Johnston on his current tour, and this does not even take into account that she is paying for her own crew and transport. I can’t help but feel that one day someone will do the same thing for the honour of playing with her as she is without doubt the finest young singer songwriter around.
She is playing in epic surroundings tonight, Manchester Town Hall’s grand hall. The walls are decked with artistic impression’s of Manchester’s finest moments: its founding by Romans, someone discovering marsh gas, the opening of the Bridgewater Canal by two babies (??!!!). And the ceiling shows some of the great powers during Victoria’s reign: China, USA, Bradford (???!!!).
And yet through all this OTT nationalist bullshit, Marling manages to make the show an intimate affair with her simple, understated delivery. It’s only a 5 song set, but what a set. Ghosts is still brilliant, and My Manic And I is still a bizarre tale of love caught in a downward spiral, as powerful as it is depressing.
She showcases a few songs from her eagerly anticipated, forthcoming album, which will be a retort to Charlie Fink’s breakup album (they were going out until recently) with Noah And The Whale. It should be quite something, something more real and important than the grandiose ideas of the Victorians.
I started out writing for the Manchester Evening News as a freelance journalist back in 2008. The idea that I would be given free access to music and gigs seemed somehow miraculous to me, and I proceeded to take full advantage of the situation. When the M.E.N. decided to constrict its coverage to only the very biggest bands, Simon Poole approached me with a plan to make sure that all the very talented musicians of this world that pass through and/or live in Manchester would not go unnoticed. As the New Releases editor here at Silent Radio Towers, it remains my proud duty to cast a critical eye over the music and reviews that come my way in a manner that is both supportive and fair. Above all, I strive to write as entertainingly possible. Favourite musicians include the Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Mercury Rev, Os Mutantes, The Knife, Beach House etc etc. I'm a firm believer that all genres (except nu-metal) contain music of great quality...
