19th January 2019
McHugh’s Bar, Belfast
The ‘Winterwood’ Tour featuring double headline acts Twin Bandit and Steph Cameron rolled into Belfast for the annual Out To Lunch Festival and by the end of the night, we were more than glad that it did.
Opening and closing duties on this tour are shared by both acts and tonight we get treated to the wonderful Twin Bandit first on the bill. Their melodic and easy going music provides the perfect uplift after a long hard week. Their set list focuses on their first two albums ‘For You’ and ‘Full Circle’. Songs such as ‘Hard to Know’, ‘‘For You’, and ‘Six Days to Sunday’ highlight the warmth of their music and the strength of their writing.
The harmonies blend together almost perfectly as they wash over the audience. A new song ‘Seven Days’ is played along with the promise of more new music to follow. A rare outing of a Barenaked Ladies cover ‘Jane’ is included in the set and goes down well. It’s an old tune from way back we are told and has been included in the set on this tour at the request of a fan in Glasgow. We think he’ll be happy with it. The Belfast audience certainly was.
Steph Cameron opened for Malojian in the Duncairn Arts Centre in 2018, and what’s noticeable tonight is the return of people who saw her at that gig. We’ve been fans of Steph’s music at Folk and Tumble since we heard her second album ‘Daybreak Over Jackson Street‘ and for this reviewer, this was a much-anticipated show. The first thing you notice about Steph when you see her live is how natural she is in front of an audience. She’s instantly at ease smiling at everyone, telling stories between songs and sipping Guinness.
It’s also clear she knows her way around a guitar. Her style includes a mix of picking and strumming and she really knows how to work six strings as is evident on country blues songs like ‘Little Blue Bird’ , ‘Magpie’ and ‘You Ought To Know By Now’. Eager to please her audience, ‘Daybreak Over Jackson Street’ gets included in the set at the request of Folk and Tumble.
There’s a softer side to her music too. ‘Richard’ and ‘Winterwood’ are mesmerising songs on the records, but in the live environment they are enthralling and carry the listener along with them. Wrapping up her set with ‘Ellis Pine’ and ‘Wishing Well’, it’s clear to see that Steph is building up a following in Belfast and we hope it isn’t too long before we see her over here again.
The ‘Winterwood’ tour continues on through the UK and Europe and is well worth checking out for a chance to see and hear two of Canada’s finest exports.
