Award winning songwriter performs at Out To Lunch 2016…
18th January 2016
The Black Box, Hill Street, Belfast
Just before Patty Griffin and her band arrived on stage at the Black Box, it was announced that the artist did not want any pictures taken during the performance that night. A bit ominous and maybe like the pilot who asks you to buckle up “in the event” of a little mid-flight turbulence, you just can’t help but ask yourself the question “How much does the captain know?”
Ultimately the turbulence is never really all that bad and what starts out as a warning ends up as a classic case of expectation management.
I had seen Patty Griffin play Belfast’s Waterfront Hall in 2010 as part of Robert Plant’s Band of Joy – a bit of an alt-country super group, where she was accompanied by, amongst others, Darrell Scott and Buddy Millar. Tonight she was centre-stage and deservedly so.
Promoting her 10th studio album, Griffin arrived in Belfast as a Grammy winner and an Americana Music Artist of the Year Award.
An unquestionable pedigree as a solo artist, her work has been covered by a diverse collection of others including: The Dixie Chicks, Bette Middler and Solomon Burke.
Why I am continually amazed at artists who can play more than one instrument is beyond me – it is their job after all, but Griffin is equally as comfortable behind an acoustic guitar, mandolin or a piano and with every song she brings a different style of playing and singing.
The quality of singing is matched by powerful song writing but it is her versatility, which for me is most impressive.
The title track of her new recording ‘Servant of Love’ is a dramatic jazz number.
‘Move up’ from her Award winning ‘Downtown Church’ is as uplifting and energising as any gospel song should be and ‘Long Ride Home’ from her 2002 recording, ‘1,000 Kisses’ stays more faithful to the Americana genre.
She has surrounded herself with excellent musicians for this tour with David Pulkingham obviously standing out on guitar.
Most of the set list for tonight’s show comes form ‘Servant Of Love’, released in Autumn last year. It’s a record that is as broad as it is deep and clear that her time with Band of Joy wasn’t wasted on Griffin as she carries some of those North African influences into ‘Servant Of Love’. Nonetheless it remains a very soulful, personal and authentic body of work.
‘Hurt A Little While’ is a song that can only come from deep experience, and Griffin admits to writing the very beautiful ‘Made Of The Sun’ for her mother.
While I dream of you, we’re sitting near the window / Laughing, bathing in the winter sun. / If I had to choose one moment forever / My friend,, I tell you, that would be the one.
The Black Box is an intimate venue and well suited to Griffin and if the crowd are maybe just that little bit older they are definitely cultured enough to appreciate what is going on.
Ducking down so as to avoid the stage lighting, Griffin looks down into the front row and says “Y’all are so quite out there.”
They’re quietly waiting on the turbulence that never comes.