Joan Armatrading has attracted widespread acclaim for her incredible music over a 40-year career, and the sold out seating at her Tivoli show reflected this perfectly. A huge array of people were gathered in the beautiful foyer, sipping drinks and talking excitedly of set lists and the last time they saw her play.
Support act Seth Lakeman signalled the beginning of the music as he entered and picked up his fiddle, making the crowd fall silent. Launching into “The Hurlers”, a frenzy of quick fiddling and the stamping of a bass drum provoked whoops from an eager audience.
The English folk musician sung almost medieval tales of blacksmiths and shipwrecks, with conviction in every intonation … although there was a small problem in the fact that the actual words were almost impossible to understand.
It might have been his charming English accent or inadequate microphone levels, but while the heartfelt inclinations of his songs were clear, the lyrics themselves went unappreciated. Nonetheless, he made the audience fall in love with him and definitely gained some new fans.
Joan Armatrading’s appearance on stage was greeted with a tremendous rumbling of applause. “Down To Zero” made for a magnificent beginning. Disappointingly her microphone didn’t work for the first verse (something that would be a recurring difficulty), but her performance was still magnificent.
“Show Some Emotion” was equally impressive, Armatrading swapping her acoustic for an electric and handling it like a seasoned pro. The audience greeted her older hits with wild enthusiasm and a somewhat starstruck respect.
Her newer songs were not as well received in the sense that they didn’t receive standing ovations, but there remained a remarkable level of support from the loyal crowd. “Single Life” was definitely the lowlight of the set, paling in comparison with her usual high standards of songwriting and powerful vocals.
“Close To Me” meandered along similar lines to its predecessor, Armatrading attempting to prompt a sing along at the end. In “All The Way From America” she raised and waved her hands inviting the audience to follow, but unfortunately to no avail.
At the end of the song she commented on the lack of participation and made the band go back to the chorus until the audience joined in. It was rather awkward and disjointed, but thankfully things picked up for “Love And Affection.”
The contrast between her new and old music was noticeable, particularly in the crowd response. “Love And Affection” elicited such joy from the audience and was sung with such passion from Armatrading that it almost made up for the awkwardness of her newer works.
“We Had Fun” was a genuine highlight, with an amazing guitar solo and that funky interlude that literally had people out of their seats and dancing.
“Starlight” and “My Baby’s Gone” both had sound difficulties, Armatrading not able to hear out of her earphones. It seemed like a constant battle with the sound technicians, but not one that spoiled the atmosphere or ruined the night. Both times she returned to the stage in good spirits and was ready to start the song again.
“Weakness In Me” was truly incredible. To fans it’s without a doubt one of the greatest love ballads of all time, and one that earned Armatrading actual tears from a few audience members.
Always the joker, as she moved to walk off stage before the expected encore, she stopped, explaining that she didn’t want to leave the stage, but that everyone should understand that the next songs were indeed the encores.
Ending the night on “Willow”, the most requested song of the night, Joan Armatrading wrapped up a magnificent concert. It had its ups and downs, but Armatrading’s stature as a musician made it hard for the small things to spoil the bigger picture.
