Kirsty Merryn arrived in London to deliver a fabulous concert at Camden’s Green Note in support of her highly regarded debut album She & I which was reviewed here on Folk Radio UK.
Her album featured a selection of carefully researched and tenderly delivered songs inspired by a diverse range of women from history. One of the best examples of this theme was The Fair Tea-Maker of Edgware Row which she performed early on in her set. It was inspired by a George Romney painting of Emma Hamilton which hangs in The London Maritime Museum. Hamilton was an intriguing historic figure who stole the hearts and minds of English society, most notably, Admiral Lord Nelson. She seemingly lived her life with a level of rebel abandonment and a freedom of spirit that also pervades Kirsty’s songs; she shared with the audience how the song had gone down particularly well in Nelson’s native Norfolk and that she was also recently congratulated on its factual integrity.
She was joined on stage, by musician and singer Todd McDonald (aka Alex Alex) who provided superb vocal support taking on the parts sung by Steve Knightley from Show of Hands on the song Forfarshire as well as that of Luke Jackson on Delilah and Samson. Also worth a mention was the opening support Drew Worthley who sang a mix of songs from his first album and some interesting, heartfelt new material.
Fresh from the excitement of playing Costa del Folk in sunny Portugal a few days before, Kirsty had swapped her festival T-shirt for a shimmering silver dress which worked exceptionally well against the venue’s deep red velvet backdrop. She had a warm stage presence and happily engaged and joked with the audience during her set. She referenced her party attire a couple of times during the show and at one stage confessing that she’d not performed the foot beat accompaniment to her song Bring up the Bodies in a pair of heels before.
There was a relaxed intimacy in the room as the mix of traditional songs, album tracks and earlier work combined to provide a good range of tempo. Kirsty sings so effortlessly and plays so well it would have been easy to have taken her voice for granted, but when in full effect, she commanded the uttermost respect and attention from the audience while her gentle and skilful piano work heightened the impact of her words still further.
While there were several moments which stood out, one of the most memorable was her a cappella rendition of The Birds are Drunk. There was an intense silence from the audience during her performance as they hung on every note. Such a moment can only really come from a live performance when an artist puts everything out there into the darkness of the room and connects with their audience.
She provided a glimpse of the future with a yet to be released song she’d been drawn to write while visiting filmmaker and photographer Todd McDonald in Jersey. The song appeared to be more inward-looking than the historically inspired theme of She & I, touching on how the natural environment can move us to stop and reflect. It was a good indication that the follow-up album or EP is going to be very much something to look forward to.
A first solo tour is an essential step for a singer songwriter, and this was not lost on Kirsty in her appreciation and approach to delivering a professional performance. The stories she shared were endearing, but the emotion she conveyed and her breathtaking vocals were the stars of the show.
There is still a chance to catch Kirsty on her current tour (see below), otherwise, take a listen to the album or look out for her in 2019 as we expect her to be in demand for the festival circuit and more solo shows.
Kirsty Merryn – Live Dates
23rd October 2018 – Kitchen Garden Café – Birmingham
26th October 2018 – Kingsberswell Parish Church (with special guest Phil Beer) – Newton Abbot
08th November 2018 – Folkroom Village –Brighton
For information about booking tickets, please visit www.kirstymerryn.com/gigs