Heather Findlay - Bristol Review

It has been a few years since singer/songwriter Heather Findlay last properly toured the UK. While she has played a few shows periodically in the intervening years, her last full band tour of the country was back in 2016. That tour was the celebrate the release of The Illusion's Reckoning, an album that she worked on as part of a project called Mantra Vega that was released earlier the same year. The show I saw in Leicester on that tour was excellent, and featured The Illusion's Reckoning played in full followed by a set of other songs from throughout her career. It is a shame that her fans have had to wait four years between tours, but I have accepted that being patient is key when it comes to following Findlay's career. Being a part-time musician is certainly not an easy vocation, but so far everything she has done has been worth the wait. Quality is certainly preferable to quantity, and it is clear that Findlay is an artist that puts her all into everything that she does - which is probably why I have never seen her put on a bad show or release a bad album. Speaking of albums, last year saw the release of her true debut solo album Wild White Horses. It seemed the process to the album was a tricky one, with a few false starts along the way, but the finished product is a strong one. It is an album that continues to grow on me, and it has become a regularly-played album in my house since its release last July. It is an album that I did not initially warm to, but repeated listens has revealed it to be a strong body of work - filled with a diverse mix of songs that cover a multitude of styles and vibes. Everything that Findlay has released as a solo artist has been different from the previous offering, and it is great to see her spreading her wings and tackling multiple styles. The current tour that she is on is to promote the new album, and it sees her playing a mix of venues old and new across the country. Luckily I did not have to travel as far as Leicester this time, as she booked a gig in the South West - aboard the Thekla in Bristol. The Thekla is one of Bristol's best venues in my opinion. It is not one that I have been to many times, but all of my previous visits have been very memorable. The venue's sound is always excellent, and it is one of those venues that always seems to create a strong atmosphere. I believe that this was Findlay's first show in the city as a solo artist, and the turnout certainly reflected that. While certainly far from poor, the crowd was certainly a little on the sparse side - which was a shame. However, given that Bristol is not a city that Findlay has played in for a long time - the hundred or so punters that turned up should be seen as a success. Those of us who stepped aboard the Thekla however were all ready for a good night, and the reaction from the crowd throughout the night was warm and appreciative.

Before Findlay took to the stage, the growing crowd was treated to half an hour or so of blues rock from the Hughes Taylor Band, a three-piece from Georgia. I am not the biggest blues fan, but I really enjoyed the band's set. Fronted by Hughes Taylor (vocals/guitar), the band ran through a blistering set of largely original material that was largely instrumental to showcase Taylor's shredding blues guitar style. Nate Lee (bass guitar) and Adriana Thomas (drums) backed him up nicely, but in truth it really was the Taylor show! The band's riffier material reminded me somewhat of Mahogany Rush, while the slower tracks certainly showcased Taylor's love of Stevie Ray Vaughn. Tracks like Streams and Just One Night certainly impressed the crowd, and by the end of the set the cheers for Taylor and co. were very loud indeed. While his voice is certainly nothing to write home about, Taylor's guitar playing was jaw-dropping at times. Blues artists have to do a lot to impress me, but some of the playing on display was truly excellent. He also performed one of the best Jimi Hendrix covers that I have ever heard, with a great mash-up of Hey Joe and Voodoo Child (Slight Return) wowing the crowd. I have heard some many average Hendrix covers of the years, particularly at the various Cambridge Rock Festivals over the years which often saw lots of pub-standard blues bands tackle the songs to varying degrees of success, but Taylor and co. really did justice to the original tracks. They ended the set with a new, heavier tune called Trouble that also went down well - with the three-piece receiving a strong reception as they took their bows. I left the venue later on with copies of Taylor's current two albums - a sure-fire way of knowing I had been impressed by what I had seen.

After a 20 minute or so changeover, Findlay took to the stage with the current iteration of her solo band - an eight-piece collective including Findlay herself that was made up of a mixture of old and new faces. With this new-look band came a new-look setlist - with all 12 songs from Wild White Horses featured throughout the evening and a selection of older material and choice covers rounding out the evening. The evening kicked off in the same way that the new album does, with Findlay's tribute to the late Liam Davison Here's to You. From the off it was clear that Findlay's current band was going to do her material justice, with many of the members coming together to replicate the big harmony vocals needed to make her material work - as well as two great guitarists in Martin Ledger and Simon Snaize, both veterans of various incarnations of Findlay's band. It was Ledger that impressed early on, tackling the country-esque solo in Here's to You - before leading the charge in a tough rendition of the old Mostly Autumn song Caught in a Fold, with his guitar replicating the flute leads of the original. Emily Lynn (keyboards/percussion/vocals) proved to be Findlay's main harmony vocal partner throughout the night, while Hughes' drummer Thomas and Georgia Rankin added additional vocals throughout the set - with the three teaming up to re-create Caught in a Fold's big vocal sound. With much of the set being made up of new material, I spent the evening just enjoying hearing so many songs live for the first time. Just a Woman was an early highlight, with Lynn's organ really filling out the sound and Snaize also proving himself as a vocalist as he took on the male vocal parts. The Eastern-tinged Face in the Sun saw a different side of the band, with the whole band armed with acoustic instruments and percussion - before this vibe was continued on during a great version of Fleetwood Mac's Gold Dust Woman (which also included a snippet of Led Zeppelin's When the Levee Breaks). Findlay nailed the song vocally, while Snaize added some great lead guitar work throughout which helped the song to hit hard.

Gold Dust Woman was the set's sixth song, and already a host of vibes had been displayed. More were to come however, with folk being showcased during I Remember (Findlay armed herself with a whistle during the intro) and more of a grand rock arrangement on display during Southern Shores. The latter featured some extra vocals from local singer Katy Burgess who did some backing vocals on Findlay's new album - which was recorded at the nearby Rockfield Studios. While the opening portions of the night were great, it was a set that really gathered momentum as it progressed. Black Rain, one of Mostly Autumn's heavier tunes, was whipped out to great effect; while Mantra Vega's jaunty Lake Sunday was a beautiful moment - with Findlay beaming behind her acoustic guitar. One of the stand-out moments for me however was Cactus, a relatively hard rocking cut from the new album that features some excellent lyrics and a fantastic groove that gave Stuart Fletcher (bass guitar) and The Quireboys' Dave McCluskey (drums) a bit of a workout. By this point however the main set was nearly over, with just Unoriginal Sin and Wild White Horses left. Burgess and Taylor joined the band for the latter, which gave the set-closer a huge, party atmosphere. There were nine people crammed onto the stage at this point, but everyone was clearly having a great time. Despite leaving the stage for a brief moment, there was time for a couple more - with Findlay and Lynn performing Firefly alone. You could hear a pin drop in the venue, with Findlay crooning beautifully over Lynn's piano. Everyone trooped back onto the stage afterwards however, and it was down to the album's closing track Forget the Rain to bring the evening to an end. It is one of my favourites from the album, so for me it ensured the evening ended on a high - and the crowd really showed their appreciation as Findlay and co. took their bows. The setlist was:

Here's to You
Caught in a Fold [Mostly Autumn material]
Just a Woman
The Island
Face in the Sun
Gold Dust Woman [Fleetwood Mac cover]/When the Levee Breaks [Led Zeppelin cover]
I Remember
Southern Shores [w/ Katy Burgess]
Winner
Already Free
Black Rain [Mostly Autumn material]
Lake Sunday [Mantra Vega material]
Cactus
Unoriginal Sin [Mostly Autumn material]
Wild White Horses [w/ Hughes Taylor and Katy Burgess]
-
Firefly
Forget the Rain

I have seen Findlay a few times as a solo artist now, but this is up there with the best of those shows so far. I loved getting the chance to hear the whole of her new album live, and the other songs chosen to fill out the set all contributed to the overall vibe of the evening - making for a flowing and dynamic evening. I hope she does not leave it another four years before touring the UK again!