Laura Marling - an oasis in the desert

The desert is several months of post-viral fatigue. The oasis is of course the delightful Laura Marling. This young English singer/songwriter is a rising star of the indie folk scene and she already has three full length albums of a maturity beyond her tender years to her name. The O2 Academy was the venue for her Glasgow gig, a former cinema and bingo hall that is pleasing to the eye but unfortunately not to the ear. My sister’s boyfriend previously worked there and had been critical of the sound system, and with good reason. The sound is uneven and lacking clarity. In short Laura’s vocals had much more power and beauty when unaccompanied by her band. The band were obviously a talented bunch of musicians and I particularly liked the use of the cello but the short comings of the sound as a whole was not their fault. To add insult to injury I had to pay £4.10 for a pint of Gaymers cider but it was not all doom and gloom. Far from it. The concert was a sell out and the crowd of mostly young people added a buzz of energy and appreciation to the occasion. Even the support acts, who are usually tolerated rather than gratefully received, got a decent applause and a few whistles. However the energy of the crowd was cranked up a fair few notches when Laura and her band eventually arrived onstage, her lithe figure cutting through the orange smoky rays of the stage lights. She looked great in her non-tarty peroxide blonde hair and cut a calm, enigmatic and graceful presence which she maintained all evening. As expected the bulk of her playlist was from her new album but she threw in a few favourites like ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Rambling Man’. The highlight of the concert was her solo stint halfway during her set. Even the dodgy sound system could not subdue her graceful vocals and tasteful guitar playing. On the whole it was a very enjoyable concert and I was really glad to see such a talent play live, she did not disappoint. I just hope that the next time she plays Glasgow Laura is more discerning in her choice of venue.