A single warm streetlight-styled lamp sits beside a microphone stand on the otherwise empty stage as the Brighton Dome fills up for what will be a full and yet intimate event.
This tour marks Laura Marling’s first headline performance in the UK in five years, though we did catch her last show at Brighton Dome. Her latest album, ‘Song For Our Daughter’, was released ahead of schedule in the thick of the 2020 pandemic.
Marling’s onstage presence is that of a seasoned artist. In a slender black suit, only her white-blonde hair stands out. Formerly stage-ready in knitwear or gypsy dresses, there’s a sense of maturity in this new look. A timeless style reminiscent of a sleek bohemian poet wanting nothing to distract from the art.
She walks onto the stage and kicks off with the rawer material of former albums. Beginning with ‘Take The Night Off’, she seems unafraid to establish an intense atmosphere. Following up with ‘I Was An Eagle’ and other earlier songs including ‘Master Hunter’, she fills space with jangly guitar accented by pull-offs and hammer-ons. Her silky sleepy vocals twist from barely awake to suddenly alive, the delivery of each line unique and purposeful.
The issue of a hangnail lightens the tension as Marling jokes with the audience whilst she has her nail clipped on stage. An excellent accidental icebreaker that warms the audience.
Halfway through the set neon squares are lit behind Marling. The lighting makes it easier to imagine she is playing in a far smaller music bar, perhaps somewhere dingy or edgy. It works perfectly for a solo artist who has become too popular for such venues but whose music still requires an intimate ambience.
Marling is remarkably at home on stage. She doesn’t feel the need to introduce every song and interacts with the audience only when it feels natural. When she does it’s often to make a joke, such as sarcastically referring to her next track as “yet another cheerful song”.
Of the 22 songs she performs, only six are from the new album and most of these come towards the end. However, the set fits a kind of narrative with the first songs seeming to be reflective of a younger self in turmoil with matters of the heart and head. Later on Marlin transitions to a more ethereal style with tracks such as ‘Once’, ‘The End Of The Affair’, and ‘Held Down’ – beautifully weightless bittersweet songs of healing and lessons learnt.
Marling stretches her melodies ever so slightly without taking liberties with the phrasing, turning familiar album tracks into a fresh live experience. By the close of her set, she has cultivated a real connection with the audience and the room is full of affection. The crowd responds with rapt laughter during a comical song written during lockdown. Unfortunately, she insists it is unlikely to ever be released.
Overall, Marling’s performance is both highly professional and deeply personal. These haunting melodies are punctuated with declarations, instructions and resolutions. A collection of hastily scrawled letters at the end of a love affair, cast out to an audience eager to catch them. The gig closes with ‘For You’, a hopeful track about gratitude in finding and treasuring love.
Brighton Dome, Tuesday 19th October 2021
Words by Emily Dauris
Photos by Xavier Clarke