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Sotano, York
9 November 2025
Somebody recently pointed out that I hadn't updated my concert reviews for months. It's true. I have a few fragments in my notebook, but I lost the enthusiasm for putting anything online. I'm not sure who needs to read them anyway. Or maybe I just got lazy. But maybe I should start again, and if I'm going to then let's start with a magical evening hosted by my favourite singer in the whole world.
At very short notice, Heather discovered that she would have half of her touring band together in York, for one night only, for the first time since the end of the Wild White Horses tour in 2020. And at short notice, she rehearsed a set, found a venue, and packed it with a crowd of die-hard fans (I recognised almost every face) who, if they are anything like me, have been waiting five years for Heather to play with a band again.
But rather than make it a regular two-hour set of her own songs, she arranged the evening a little differently to give every one of the band members a moment in the spotlight. The result was a uniquely entertaining evening glued together by typical Heather magic.
Things start with a twenty-minute solo set by Emily Lynn, sitting at the piano and singing a set of jazz standards, the sort of set where you know every song but they are given new life by the personality of the singer.
All the band's equipment is already set up on the stage so there is no change-over time between sets, just a few minutes for people to visit the bar (and the tip jar) before the next act starts.
And the next act is Heather herself. She starts with her newest (not yet recorded) song, a capella, then picks up her guitar for a set of songs from the Wildflower album. It's a soft, gentle set, a big contrast to the energetic piano of Emily Lynn before it and the rock guitar of Martin Ledger that will follow it. But that's what the album is, and Heather's singing is full of delicate beauty and emotion, and the pacing of the evening is a work of genius. (Heather seems to doubt that she got the evening's running order right, but it's perfect.) For most of the set she's accompanied by her son, Harlan Findlay-Lofus, on piano, and there's also a brief guest appearance by Angela Gordon on alto flute. This is obviously already the best concert I've ever seen.
Heather only plays for 30 minutes, then it's a brief break before Martin Ledger takes the stage for a solo set that includes covers of Dire Straits and Tom Petty songs, and two of his original songs (one of which Heather sings with him). He's a great singer, a phenomenal guitar player, and also a natural comedian.
And finally, everyone comes together for a 45-minute "headline" set. Despite no drums, this is a proper rock set, drawn almost entirely from the Wild White Horses album. And I remembered how much I've been wishing to see Heather fronting a proper band again. I've loved her solo sets over the last few years, and her acoustic songs are beautiful. But there are many sides to her music, and I've missed Heather the rock singer.
It has been a very special and unique evening. But Heather is a very special and unique performer. I've watched her for 25 years through different bands, and she can still surprise me with events like this. Her style and her music have changed throughout those years, but the thing that will never change is that she's the best singer in the world, and this was the best concert I've ever seen.
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