Sharon Van Etten - Manchester Cathedral, Manchester, 24/11/2014
by Dixie Ernill
published: 8 / 12 / 2014
intro
At Manchester Cathedral a flu-bitten Dixie Ernill watches Sharon Van Etten play an outstanding show to promote her much acclaimed new album, 'Are We There'
I feel awful. A combination of over work and severe man-flu have seen me bed-ridden for the entire weekend prior to this Monday night gig. Thankfully I have just about enough energy/Lucozade inside me to back up my enthusiasm and manage to make it. I’m a fairly recent convert to Sharon Van Etten and I am only familiar with her last two albums ('Tramp' and newie 'Are We There?'), but such is the power of her voice, kind of like Stevie Nicks diluted by a splash of Kate Bush, and the excellence of her backing band it doesn’t overly matter. Born in New Jersey some thirty odd years ago, Sharon remains as cute as a button and even her speaking voice (during the between song banter, where she comes across as both humble and witty in equal measures) is intoxicating. Indeed it’s no wonder that an admirer has sent her a huge basket of flowers…. The set is unsurprisingly heavy on tracks from 'Are We There?', such as opening number 'Afraid of Nothing', 'Taking Chances' and the dance influenced 'Our Love', all of which are greatly received by a pretty packed audience. The older tracks seem to hit home too, with 'Save Yourself' being an obvious highlight. The fragile nature of some of her lyrics are a pleasing contrast to the religious grandeur of the surroundings, and strangely it seems the most natural place on the planet for Sharon to be performing her songs. With the Lucozade effect fading fast, Sharon and her band return for a single encore of 'Give Out', the song that first drew me in, a song that has been a constant on my player for the best part of two years, a song with lyrics that seemed to capture my plight when I first heard them - “There were your eyes in the dark of the room/ The only ones shining, the only ones I'd met in years”. Hearing them sung live makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck and brings a dryness to my throat as I am transported to another time and place. For a few minutes my sickness is gone….
Also at Manchester Cathedral, Manchester
Band Links:-
http://www.sharonvanetten.comhttps://www.facebook.com/SharonVanEttenMusic
https://twitter.com/sharonvanetten
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Van_Etten
Picture Gallery:-
interviews |
Interview (2011) |
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten speaks to Jamie Rowland about touring with the National and the therapeutic nature of music |
live reviews |
Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, 29/4/2015 |
Jamie Rowland watches Sharon Van Etten somehow makes a sold-out show at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London feel like an intimate performance, with a night of raw, confessional and beautiful music |
soundcloud
reviews |
Are We There (2014) |
Uncompromising but compelling fourth album from New York-based singer-songwriter, Sharon Van Etten |
Tramp (2012) |
Epic (2010) |
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
previous editions
Microdisney - The Clock Comes Down the StairsWorld Party - Interview
Michael Lindsay Hogg - Interview
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EP
Ain't That Always The Way - Alan Horne After The Sound of Young Scotland 2
World Party - Interview with Karl Wallinger
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Steve Harley - Interview
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Prisoners - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart