THE FRONT ROW

There are some points in an artist’s career when, if you’re lucky enough, you can look back upon and say ‘I was part of that’. I’ve got a feeling that this tour, and Sunday night in Leeds, will be one of those. 

I’ve seen Rianne Downey live twice before; once with just her guitar and once with her band, but on both occasions she was the support act. As good as she was then, this tour was her time to shine, her time in the spotlight and her time to headline. She didn’t disappoint. Since my first time seeing her she has surrounded herself with musical gold in the form of her band members. Nathaniel Laurence (guitar and keyboards), Phil Murphy (percussion) and Sam Topping (bass), all previously of The Peach Fuzz and with the first two also currently forming part of Michael Heads’s Red Elastic Band. In fact, if you want a clue as to how good Rianne actually is, the man himself was there to watch her opening night in Liverpool.

Opening with Stand My Ground, we were taken through a cleverly constructed set that showed off every element of her talents, mixing her work as a guitarist with that of her as a soloist. Her band gave her that extra edge when she needed it, including on her most recent release, Come What May which showcased her incredible voice perfectly. 

For a diminutive stage figure she more than compensates for this with both her presence and her vocal range, chatting confidently with the ever adoring audience whilst clearly relishing the applause and recognition she receives. She managed to transition from Devil’s Gonna Get You, a mixed tempo band tune with a country edge, to Fuel to the Flame, her very first release, sung acoustically, with the minimum of fuss. We were treated to some new songs along the way, but nothing was close to as special as Method To My Madness, when the solitude of just her spellbinding voice and the moving keyboard work of Laurence captivated all in the room, mesmerising them momentarily. What followed was as close to a standing ovation at a non-seating gig as you can get. 

Paper Wings followed a similar vein but with Laurence, the co-writer, accompanying on guitar this time. I’ve heard her sing this one before and was as spellbound then as I was this time, such was the precision and pitch of her voice. She then walked us through a procession of engaging songs from her most recent EP, the whole crowd singing the words of Home back to her, before signing off with Alright. 

Her style? Yes, there’s an edge of country. Yes, there’s an air of folk. But you only have to look at the breadth of her covers on YouTube to realise how wide and far reaching her influences are. Her music is her own and it’s all the better for it.

This was an intimate gig. A special gig. One to remember, and I think she herself will remember it well too. The opportunities to see her perform in such a setting will diminish quickly, I’m sure, so go whilst you can. 

And the measure of her talent? For me it was watching her guitarist watching her during her solo acoustic numbers with as much adoration and in as much awe as the rest of us.

Take a bow, Rianne Downey, take a bow.

New single Songbird out now. Taken from the Method To My Madness EP out on June 9th. 

Duncan Grant.