Beth Orton - Spitz
I was going to do one big monster update about all of the gigs we've been to in the last 6 or seven weeks, but it's probably better to do these one at a time or they'll not get done.

So, first up, Beth Orton at Spitz.

This is the first time I’ve been to Spitz, but not the first time I’ve seen Beth. In fact over the years I’ve seen her more than any other artist. Tonight’s gig is one of three intimate shows to promo her forthcoming album and the set is about half and half old and new. The new stuff sounds good, folkier and more accomplished than some of her previous records. For what is in affect a fan club gig (it sold out in minutes) there are a lot of people in the venue who’ve only turned up to hear the old songs - there is a huge argument between two sections of the audience on whether Beth should play Feel To Believe or Pass In Time. In the end she plays both. What this means of course is that people get a bit bored and start to talk during the new songs. About 2/3 of the way through the set Beth snaps and tells people to “stop fucking talking – I can’t do this if you don’t shut up” – which does the job.

Over all not a classic Beth gig (the shows at the Islington Chapel), but a good performance and signs that she is more confident – she doesn’t shake in the way she used to when she had to sing the first song acapella because of her nerves. It’s certainly not as bad as a gig we saw her play at the Electric Ballroom a few years ago when a faulty guitar kept cutting out on her.




- posted by Nigella @ 8:42 PM