with Jimi Strange, Becky and Sariah Carter
Reviewed by Trevor Locke
Photographs by Kevin Gaughan
It was a night to remember. Moreover, a night full of memories. Not having been to the Irish bar in Pocklington Walk for a long time, I noticed some changes to the interior of the building. They have made improvements to the place since my last visit.
The night opened with a performance by singer Jimi Strange. His strong vocals easily filled the room. The singer from Nottingham delivered a strong performance, featuring both covers and some of his own songs.
Becky is someone I know and have known for a very long time. Good to see her again and that she is still going strong. One of her songs was I don’t miss you but I miss your cat, which was as amusing as it was poignant.
Sariah Carter received a warm reception for her fine, clear soprano voice. A rising star of the music scene, she is both a singer and a songwriter. She gave us a spirited performance of her own songs with their engaging lyrics.
Andrea Kenny took to the stage. Her distinctive voice brought back all those performances I remember when she sang with The Brandy Thieves. It was a sparkling performance. Andrea is a superb singer and songwriter. Her sumptuous vocals could give strength as well as delicacy.
After an interval, the stage continued with the same acts returning for a further set of songs. Jimi gave us another round of exhilarating songs, including some of his original numbers. Becky sang about meeting your sixteen year-old self and what that might evoke. Quite a novel idea, I thought. Sariah gave another superb performance. Andrea concluded the evening by singing some of the songs most loved by audience members. One song included the refrain ‘everywhere I go there’s a blackbird following me.’
The evening concluded with a jam session of three musicians playing unplugged.
This night was one of those moments that makes the music scene in Leicester such an enthralling experience.
Watch Andrea Kenny perform If I Tried at the gig:
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