Bat For Lashes

The last time I had been to the O2 ABC venue in Glasgow was to watch the late great Bert Jansch play a live acoustic set. Bat For Lashes, the stage name for the multi-talented Natasha Khan, has not acquired the legendary status of Jansch yet but she is growing in stature and acclaim with each new album. It's fair to say that I was really looking forward to seeing her play live. The evening started well, with the bar at the ABC serving Gaymers cider, which is one of my favourites. A roadie must have been over enthusiatic with the smoke machine as I almost got lost when taking a wander across the standing area infront of the stage. I somehow navigated my way to the stage without the help of a Sherpa guide and after a brief wait the support act for the evening arrived. Sylver Tongue are an alternative electro pop outfit and proved to be better than your average support act. They had an interesting sound, largely synth driven, with the lead singer used her guitar skills to good effect on a few of their songs. When they finished their set I refuelled at the bar and then jostled my way to the front of the crowd. I watched the techies and roadies dismantling and then assembling equipment on the stage, like they were setting the scene for a new story to be told. Bat For Lashes and her bandmembers came onstage to raptorious applause from the few hundred fans who had gathered in anticipation. She was wearing a black and grey lycra body suit for some reason. I don't know if it was purely fashion or it had something to do with the themes of her new album but she looked great all the same. She turned out to be a very natural and expressive live performer, really in tune with her songs and the energy of the crowd. Although a multi-instrumentalist she only played the piano on a few occassions, prefering to stand alone with the microphone. I wonder if this was a conscious decision to expose her voice. It certainly worked and I came away from the gig with a new appreciation of her vocal skills, she really is a very good singer. Her band were excellent, professional to a man, and one woman. As expected half of the playlist were tracks from her new album, but she delved into her impressive back catalogue and stirred up the crowd with songs such as 'Daniel' and 'Horse And I'. Her best performance of the night was probably 'Laura', delivered with real emotion and conviction. The ABC venue was perfect for her, being just about the right size and offering an excellent sound system. Everything sounded clear and balanced. I hope she chooses the same venue next time around. All in all a great concert.