Heather Findlay

Kardomah 94, Hull

5 December 2018

Comaprisons with last week's concert: the set is missing Above the Blue but instead we get I've Seen Your Star, and the set is otherwise still the same, still a perfect balance of different songs drawn from across her entire career.

Joska de Langen joins the trio for three songs, playing wooden flute, guitar, and piano to add to the already ridiculous number of instruments the trio plays. As my friend said afterwards, "How many instruments do they all play?" (Answer: Martin 3, Joska 3, Heather 4, Sarah 6, plus all are singing. And that's just tonight, I know they actually play more than that.)

Joska plays a 40-minute support set, too, with an eclectic mix of songs from multiple countries and multiple centuries, in a variety of different languages. I can't think of any other performer who would cover John Dowland, Syd Barrett, and Nat King Cole songs in the same concert.

It's quite remarkable that throughout her career Heather has always managed to surround herself with exceptional musicians, and the current trio/quartet is no exception to that rule. They are what allow her to present the variety of music she does and make every song sound like it was always supposed to be performed in this arrangement, even when none of it originally was.

It's my first time in this venue and the first impressions are good. It's the back room of a resturant, not massive but a comfortable size (bigger than last week's venue) with a decent size stage that allows the band to comfortably fit on a fourth person (Joska) and more instruments (his keyboard). The sound is perfect, and the harp mixed much more prominently than last time. And the atmosphere is very nice, the crowd attentive and respectful (i.e. no-one eating crisps) (anyone at the London gig will know what I mean).

And you'll probably notice I'm talking about anything but Heather herself.

Because what is there to say? In nearly 20 years and more than 70 gigs, Heather has never disappointed me. She is the perfect singer, and one I'll keep following like this forever.