Two Wild Women

On a wild and windy night it was a fantastic treat to escape into the shelter of the Bongo Club and discover the best female voice we’ve heard in years.

The bill consisted of Paul Gilbody on accoustic guitar, followed by folk/jazz singer Sophie Bancroft, accompanied by Tom Lyne on bass, with the headline act filled by Andi Neate. Paul had actually filled in at a few hours notice with a borrowed guitar (Andi’s) and kicked off with 4 songs including the fascinatingly eastern sounding Wailing Song, about a family in Kashmir who had to make a 200 mile round trip to see each other across a river, since the bridge came down. His vocal dexterity on the final song amounted to something approaching a Ginger Baker drum solo.

Sophie Bancroft is a well known and loved jazz/folk aritst, her talents showing off best in the jazzier sections of her repertoire. She performed several self-penned tracks from previous and soon to be released CDs, including the haunting Calgary Bay, about her love of Mull. Tom Lyne provided the equivalent of a lead guitar accompaniment on double bass and joined Sophie in a gentle song they had written together.

With all due respect to Paul and Sophie, they kept the best till last. Andi has been compared to Suzanne Vega in the past, but add to that Alannis Morrisette and the Cranberries if you want to imagine the full range. Andi’s ease with her audience and her full band of Paul (this time on double bass and not singing) Lindsay West (backing vocals) Lauren Hayes (piano and backing vocals) and renowned cellist Wendy Weatherby made a most enjoyable evening. In a performance that just got better and better, Andi finished with ‘my favourite song of the moment, ‘Crash” which featured on her last CD Paper Animals.

These two combine again when they tour to Ullapool and Cromarty next week.

8 Dec The Old Brewery, Cromarty Tel: 01381 600277 £6 or £10 with supper
9 Dec The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool: Tel: 01854 612103

Andi will also appear at The Galloway Arms, Crocketford, Dumfriesshire at 2pm on 10 Dec. (with Quirkus)

Watch this space for news of Andi’s next recording, which will be a live performance in Edinburgh. You’re all invited! Don’t miss it! And keep an eye on our diary for news on Paul’s accoustic sessions. He’s promised to post some info for you.

Sophie and Paul can be found on myspace, where you can download some tracks free (and legally!) Sophie’s CDs can be bought from Fopp Records or her online shop on www.sophiebancroft.co.uk and Andi has a web site too www.andineate.co.uk where you can also buy her music.
Paper Animals is also available from Amazon