Heather Findlay

Lantern Theatre, Sheffield

28 March 2026

My second time in the Lantern Theatre, and Heather reminds me that it's exactly one year to the day since the first time! I'm still impressed with the place, it's comfortable, sounds good, has a high stage, and, crucially, ice cream in the interval. I wish all venues could feel like this. The only dissappointing thing is that even though it's a tiny venue, it's nowhere near being sold out—audiences are declining for all the bands I see regularly, but it's painfully obvious tonight. But if Heather is disappointed by the audience size, she shows no sign, and delivers a show as good as any I have seen her perform in any size venue.

The evening opens with a short set from Duncan Parsons. I only knew him as the drummer from the John Hackett Band, but it turns out that he also plays guitar, sings, has written a bunch of brilliant (and usually hilarious) songs, and is an all-round entertainer. In an earlier era, he would have his own special on Saturday night TV. I look forward to seeing him again.

Heather plays her first set solo, accompanying herself on guitar, shruti box, and drum. Surprisingly, she plays little from Wildflower—which is of course the album designed for a solo performance—and instead gives us a perfect mix of new and older songs, and previews of songs from her upcoming album. The new songs (which obviously I can't remember the names of) sound amazing; a bit different from anything she's done before but still well within the bounds of what you would expect Heather to do. Anyone who's stuck with her as she reinvented herself from Mostly Autumn to The Phoenix Suite and evolved into Wildflower will certainly love this new direction.

This first set has a few technical hitches and tuning problems, and so doesn't flow completely smoothly, but her voice is perfect, and that's all that matters. Highlight of this set is an astonishing version of Carpe Diem, accompanied by only the drone of the shruti box. It's not a song I would ever have imagined working without the full band bombast, but it sounds phenomenal stripped down to just that voice.

After an interval for ice cream, Heather returns to play another hour (or probably more) accompanied by her son Harlan. He plays bass and piano, and adds backing vocals (including the co-lead vocal on The Island from The Illusion's Reckoning), and does an excellent job, confident and professional throughout.

So the second set is a bit rockier than the first. There are several Wild White Horses songs, as well as other older songs, and the Wildflower songs that need a piano.

But if I'm going to choose a highlight of the second set (and the entire night), then with apologies to Heather it's not one of her own songs but the sole cover in the set, and something I would never, ever, have guessed she would attempt.

Think of the kind of songs that Heather has covered in the past, and see if you can take a guess at what she did tonight.

Wrong.

It was Hello Earth.

Honestly, seriously, she sang Hello Earth, and it's a flawless vocal performance and arrangement. It's perfect. It's beyond perfect. It's the best I've ever heard her sing. Better than the original. Because, Heather.

For the last song of the set, Heather and Harlan swap places so she's playing piano and he's playing guitar, and Duncan Parsons joins them on djembe, for a rocking version of Unoriginal Sin.

And that ends the set, but there's a weird feeling of anti-climax, an awkward ending, as if there should be more. I'm sure there are at least a couple more songs planned, but they've hit the venue curfew. But even with one or two songs omitted, this has been a phenomenal set.

Think about this: she didn't include Shrinking Violet or Evergreen, and I still think this was the best set list I've ever heard her sing.

This has been my 100th Heather Findlay concert (across several bands...), and it's the best concert I have ever seen.

Still the best singer in the world. And getting better every year.