What better way to start the 2024 season at LRB than with a double headline show and the return of Christina Martin with Dale Murray.
Sadly we recently heard of the passing of David Fordham who was a staunch friend and supporter of LRB & all of us personally. He will be greatly missed and we know he would have loved to be in the room tonight, but we feel he was with us in spirit. Jonathan paid a fine tribute prior to this show and we kept his seat free as a symbolic mark of respect for a dear friend sadly no longer with us.
Editor: I share this post and photo from Larry Grano (Eve Selis)
Christina opened with Someday moving directly into a fine rendition of Where The Dark Meets the light from her 2019 Album WONDERFUL LIE. We enjoyed some fine guitar playing from Dale and his beautiful Duisenberg instrument.
Christina is ‘chuffed as little mint balls’ (her words) to be back at the LRB… laughs… as she introduces Dale and his Lap Steel guitar, before playing Two Hearts after telling the story behind what was to be her first album with Dale back in 2008. She had us singing along already as Dale showed us what a fine player he is.
Now we have two songs, stripped back how they were written, from the new Album STORM. The accompanying video to Little Princess won a couple of awards and is a tribute to her late brother Stefan who always encouraged his little sister, a fine solo performance.
Still in L.A. was written years back about Christina’s friend Vince who moved there and hated it… The song didn’t have a home until now, it’s track 10 on album STORM.
Christina tells us that she has now made 17 audio description enhanced videos of her songs available for those who would benefit from this. It’s clearly a passion for her to make her music accessible to all.
It’ll Be Alright is next, the title track from Christina’s 2015 album of the same name… This version has slowed the pace a little from the album version but made for a fine performance… It’s always great to see how songs evolve, one more benefit from going to live gigs…
In Control is a song about falling off the wagon, whatever your wagon may be… Track 3 from album STORM. It’s great to see and hear two beautiful Duisenberg expertly played on the LRB stage as Christina and Dale performed this song. Those guitars really sparkle under the stage lights, they look as good as they sound…
This led to a beautiful rendition of Winter
Christine tells how she went to Austin with Mary Gauthier and others (as Dale tuned her acoustic) for a songwriting workshop where the songwriters were invited to write songs with storytellers to share their stories in song, raising money for charity.
Christina couldn’t meet her storyteller Joanne in person, but the video moved her to write this song Golden Tears for The Elizabeth Fry Society who helped Joanne with her issues. The song is unrecorded at the time of this performance, but a recording with fellow Canadian singer songwriter, Leeroy Stagger is scheduled and imminent. Another great benefit of live gigs is hearing the music first with an insight to the stories behind them…
Storm is next, the title track from Christina’s latest album, again Christina’s yearning voice is expertly supported by Dale’s beautiful lead guitar playing as we lead into the last song, a song about love, Always Reminding from the 2018 Album IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD Christina, free from a guitar, makes the most of the LRB stage to end an amazing performance that was enjoyed by everyone as the applause showed.
Hannah Returns to the LRB for this 2024 opening gig with a changed line up. As usual, hubbie Kieron Marshall is on guitar and Michele Stodart (The Magic Numbers) on bass and backing vocals. New to the band and playing her first live show with Hannah, Kate Stephenson is on drums.
Congratulations to Michele who recently picked up two AMAUK (Americana Music Association) award for Artist of the Year. INVITATION collected Album of the Year.
Hannah also picked up Song of the Year!
Hannah opened with Walk Beside Me before introducing the band to us all and promoting Michele’s superb award winning Album INVITATION
Hannah then played One Night Stand a song about her home town, she described as a sh*t hole… Laughs… Track 5 from The SWEET REVOLUTION album that Michele also produced. A lady of many talents.
We enjoyed a sound hiccup mid song due to a faulty guitar pick up, but that’s live music, problem solved, the show goes on… Michele expected us to sing along now with the chorus, and plenty people did just that…
Hannah, always happy to be out of London, then performed Track 8 from the latest album, Right On Time. This had the LRB audience clapping and singing along.
Hannah is flattered that she has a plaque on three walls of the LRB thinking The LRB WALL OF FAME is worthy of a museum dedicated to great music… It certainly is a roster of artists we are very proud to have hosted.
Hannah openly admits that she is never one to shy away from talking, writing and singing about her mental health issues before performing It Will Be Alright from her 2022 Album ABOUT TIME. Keiron played some beautiful melodic guitar here…
The After-show is a brief glimpse of Hannah’s life story in two verses she tells us, that certainly rocked the barn the way we like it rocked…
More stage banter was enjoyed before Hannah and the band played Don’t Make Love Too Easy, again from The ABOUT TIME album with more beautiful guitar from Keiron…
Hannah tells us, she is releasing a single a month this year, a marketing idea from her label to keep people interested (Sic) These songs don’t belong on an album Hannah Says, so she it pleased to let them out and let them be…
This one is a song about difficult motherhood and how it’s often over sentimentalised, unintentionally released on International Women’s day… Mother You Are. You can find it on all streaming services, do take a listen. Hannah hopes she hasn’t upset any mothers, or children with that song… Laughs…
You’re Country’s Not At War is next from the 2017 ELEPHANT’S EYE album, a great song for Keiron to rock out on guitar and Michele highlight her real talent on the bass guitar. With such a catchy chorus it’s hard not to sing along.
Next up after more stage banter we enjoy a song, recorded in Hannah’s house, Hannah describes the chaos involved in such a task, to great laughs…
Hannah praises her band for the listening they do that creates the space in the music, before she plays a politically themed protest song, although we have more problems now she tells us… Hail The Fighter the opener On SWEET REVOLUTION again Keiron and Michele both show what fine players they are as they step to the fore.
Rosa is a song written for Hannah’s 18 year old daughter Molly. It’s called Rosa as she would be mortified if she knew it was about her… Track 9 on SWEET REVOLUTION.
Two more songs are lined up to close the show Chains Of Ours really rocks out as Keiron’s electrifying solos dazzle us, inflamed fingers and all… Michele leads the clapping as everyone is in the band tonight and the cheering applause says it all…
“I thought I’d end the show on a low” says Hannah, as she tells the story of how she was boo’d after telling the tale behind Car Crash in Liverpool whilst on tour with Paul Carrack… This knocked her confidence for a while, but tonight she put her heart on the line once more. An amazing song born of real life tragic experience. You will find it on The ABOUT TIME album…
We couldn’t leave it there, we wanted more… So Hannah plays a song Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue) heard on BBC Scotland and subsequently invited her to tour with him, becoming a friend also. Broken Bird was a single release in 2022, a beautiful song to close the evening with. thank you Hannah, Keiron, Michele and Kate.
One of our audience put it best when he wrote…
“And what a start to the 2024 season it was. A double header with Hannah White and Christina Martin. Both superb songwriters with glorious voices. Christina reminded me of Mary Chapin Carpenter which is about as high as praise can get. Hannah White bares her soul to touch ours”.
This was another remarkable performance from an artist who just keeps getting better. Look out for her new singles as she is releasing one a month for the next year… That’s what we call prolific writing
Editor:
Thanks to HANNAH WHITE with her wonderfully talented band featuring Kieron Marshall, Michele Stodart, Kate Stephenson and CHRISTINA MARTIN w DALE MURRAY | for a fabulous evening.
Congratulations to Michele for picking up Artist of the Year and Album of the Year at the AMAUK (Americana Music Association) awards in January and Hannah for Song of the Year.
Thanks to everyone involved with the production: Simon Allen sound engineer and Geoff lighting tech; The fabulous little rabbit crew of Chris on video cameras and setup, Stan on setup and artist merchandise, Doug on guest list, Brian running Little Rabbit Bar and big thanks to Chris and Rebecca for standing in for Lyn. Paul and Karen with takedown.
Thank you again to Geoff Lee for his expertise in setting up and programming all our lighting fixtures and the work he put in on the lead up to this show. The photos, video and audience experience are further improved.
Review: Chris
Video cams: Chris and Paul
Photography: Andy Sheard, Alan the Hat
Artist/guest hospitality: Lyn
Artist Merchandise: Stan
AV editing & audio mix: J ( we’ll slot in some vids soon)
Artists: Terry
Sound: Simon Allen
To all wonderful LRB guests and friends who support live music at LRB, big thanks for filling LRB full like the good times and hope to see y’all next time. Big thanks to all the new guests and all your lovely comments.
We will be ready to welcome a long overdue return of SARA PETITE from San Diego and SARAH JANE SCOUTEN from Canada currently based in Scotland on Saturday 13 April 2024.
Another great evening….thank you everyone for filling this evening full.
Best wishes, Keep Safe & See Y’all soon
The LRB team
