Underbelly
Although it was initially disappointing to see that she would be playing solo, Basia in fact played a warm and enjoyable show, sounding really centred and in great voice. The last couple of times I have seen her play there was, ever so slightly, a sense of running to keep up with herself, which wasn't at all the case on this occasion, and it made the fairly simple show seem like a lovely snug fit.
The set was not particularly aided by the location - although the sound was spot on - where too many noisy chatterers really weren't letting the fact that they were at a fairly quiet show interfere with their conversations. During The Shore, a particularly quiet tune played on an ancient omnichord that seemed to have a built in kalimba (or similar), the talking reached such a pitch that it seemed to distract Basia to the extent that she almost lost her way mid-song. Cunningly, the next song was on a baby uke, and she sang unamplified, so even the noisy ones responded and kept it down.
It did seem that the strongest songs were from the first album, but Pilgriming Vine and Snakes and Ladders manage to be both immediate and long lasting, so if she can match them in the future then she will really be proving herself. I'm not sure if Heart Of My Own, just released, could be said to improve on Oh My Darling, but let's live with it for a while before making judgements.
Basia made a few comments about which of her instruments were approved of by customs, but I think she may have been confusing them with raw meat or some other restricted item - I am not aware of stringed instruments which contravene travel regulations, however this is probably just another gap in my knowledge.
Basia Bulat-The Shore
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