Odin Dragonfly

Songs (in no particular order):

Magpie
How I feel Today
Steal Away
Eyes of the Forest
Given Time
Waiting for the Snow
Web
Yellow Time
Famous Blue Raincoat
Caught in a Fold
Round and Round
Witches Promise

No surprises in the set list — it's exactly what I heard a year ago in Hartlepool and almost exactly what I heard 18 months ago here in Fibbers. But that's ok, because that's exactly what I came to hear. After only two or three listens I still can't sing many of the words, but all the melodies are imprinted in my head and feel like familiar old favourites.

"Friendly" is the best word to sum up this gig. Heather and Angela spend so much time nattering with each other and with the audience [insert joke about typical women here] that they have to cut a couple of songs out of the set to beat the curfew! (This Game and Magnolia Half Moon, I think.) But that's ok... "friendly" is... nice. And even though I'm not one of those who hangs around to chat with the band after gigs, and I attend a fraction of the gigs that some people do, Heather still recognises me and makes a point of stopping to say "nice to see you" before the show. And Angela is so anxious to make sure people get t-shirts that fit, she's making them try them on before buying them. And the audience is full of all Rabbit's Friends and Relations, and I recognise and exchange hellos with far more people than an antisocial wotsit like me ought to. And it's just... friendly.

The girls apologised in case their voices gave out because they had both been ill all week, but if they did give out then I didn't notice. (I think Heather may have missed one high note she was reaching for, but, pffft. And maybe it meant she was favouring a lower register than she tends to use with Mostly Autumn these days (this was most noticable when Angela took a very high Harmony on... I think it must have been Witches Promise) but that's fine by me because her voice has a beautiful warmth there that's the best voice ever.) I was stood in a stupid place for sound (i.e. right at the front) so I was getting a bit of a peculiar mix — the loudest thing was Heather's foot tapping, and I'm pretty sure I was hearing unamplified guitar. But that didn't stop the songs from sounding beautiful.

All the music is beautiful. Everything was beautiful. And Yellow Time is the best song on Heart Full of Sky. And I love cats. And I love Leonard Cohen but I love Heather more. And flutes are the best thing ever. And... no, ok, that's all I have to say.

I understand why the album couldn't be ready for tonight, and it's a shame, but I got an official tour programme to make up for it.

It was just the best concert I've ever been to.

* * *

Sarah Dean (did I get that right?) opened the show, and though I thought I knew her name from somewhere I didn't recognise her at all, so, oh well. She played a harp and sang a handful of really nice songs. A beautiful voice and... well, harp! Harps are the best thing ever. And I didn't know you can change the tuning of a harp by flipping some switches. So there you go, entertaining and educational. What more could you want?

Hijack Oscar were on next and played basically the same set of songs as I saw them do last month. In my review of that show I think I said I enjoyed them but the songs weren't all that memorable. Well I was wrong, because I remembered every song. And still enjoyed them. They're extremely talented musicians, highly energetic, and definitely worth looking out for again. This time they played with a guitar player and female singer (who were absent from the last gig). I'm sorry I can't comment on the guitar player because his sound was completely overpowered by the rest of the band. But the girl has a good, soulful voice which complements the man's voice nicely. And is it just me or are bands getting younger these days?

And finally Odin Dragonfly who were, oh, I've already done them.