0 degrees...

It was with a sense of anticipation that we trudged through Manchester’s cold and windy streets to the 0 degrees of separation gig at The Bridgewater Hall. I’d been offered a free ticket through work, and we decided it was an interesting enough bill - four folk/ acoustic artists including Vetiver, Juana Molina, Adem and Vashti Bunyan - to spend the £15 to get M in too.

I’d heard of Vashti Bunyan because of her 60s renown, and subsequent thirty year absence from the music scene. On that basis alone, we decided the others were surely worth the punt – they were after all on the same bill as the English Joni Mitchell. In the end, Bunyan seemed to be the one holding the night back, whilst the young ‘uns jammed their way to a memorable gig. Sure, it was nice that they all collaborated on each other’s numbers but I left thinking that Bunyan might have good reason to have shunned recording and performing for three decades… Her intros to each song were whispered comments on this track that she’d written nearly forty years ago and was now dedicating to her children. Hmmm.



But the others – where to start! Juana Molina was like the bastard step-child of Imogen Heap and KT Tunstall’s foster parents (yes she is that weird!), with her red velvet party dress and click-your-heels-together red sequin pumps. Vetiver were so laid back they were horizontal, but ticking over just enough to demonstrate their Americana roots. And Adem launched us into another world…

The Guardian last week gave it a four star review. I’d give Juana, Vetiver and Adem a solid four stars, and (you guessed it), only one for Bunyan. A five star gig then, but not quite in the way that I was expecting…


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