A week after SOURCE was invited to write a preview for a surprise gig by one of our favourite artists we are there early to catch the return of Nadine Shah, who has used the intervening period to announce a new album, ‘Filthy Underneath’, during an interview on 6 Music with Steve Lamacq.
Thankfully our early arrival means we catch Callum Easter. He shuffles on stage, fiddles with his curious antique drum machine and picks up an accordion. Suddenly an ominous throb breaks into the mournful sounds of ‘Lonely World’.
Imagine if Tom Waits was from Leith and had grown up listening to Mark Bolan and Terry Hall. You can also hear the influence of Young Fathers in certain aspects of the songwriting, for Callum is also in their live band on keys and guitar.
His set draws to a beautiful close with ‘Feelings Gone’.
The venue packs out and goes dark as the unmistakable sound of Cypress Hill booms out over the speakers and Nadine’s band take to the stage and come out swinging with ‘Fast Food’.
She is, however, clearly nervous. After a tough few years, she is back doing what she does best, but from the front row you can see the pressure written on her face, despite the bravado of the lively dancing and the incredible power of that voice.
She silently breathes and relaxes into ‘Kitchen Sink’ as she sings about the “gossiping boring bunch of bitches” with real power and venom. Then she rips into ‘Club Cougar’.
The photographers are then banished from the front and the show becomes squarely about the audience.
“I was scared as fuck you wouldn’t turn up. Only gave you six days’ notice. You’re my kind of people!” Then she laughs about how far in advance some of her mates try and book things.
We are then treated to the first of the new songs, ‘Topless Mother’, which is brought in with a pounding surf drumbeat from Evan Jenkins and twanging guitar from Neill MacColl, and builds into an almost Malian-sounding Afro-blues chorus.
The devilish fun of ‘Buckfast’ leads into another new song: ‘Greatest Dancer’. This really is a cracking track with its dirty almost Glitter Band style soundscape.
The quality of the backing band is phenomenal. Meanwhile, Nadine is putting everything into this performance, and it clearly means a lot to her.
She mentions getting divorced before ‘Prayer Mat’, which she later says was written for her mum. During the song, whilst never missing a beat, she is on her knees, visibly wiping away tears, the tumultuous roller coaster ride of recent years coming to the surface. At the end of the song she even has to step to the side of the stage to regain her composure.
Within seconds, she bounces back, all her emotion and rage is channelled into ‘Ladies For Babies’ and the crowd erupts.
The final new song, ‘Even Light’, is incredible with its organ stabs from Dan Crook over Ben Nicholls’ rolling bass.
The set then closes with ‘The Fool’ and the political fury of ‘Out The Way’, before Nadine goes to meet her crowd and run her own merchandise stall.
We spill out into the night by a half-demolished hotel in the middle of a biblical downpour. A fittingly dramatic end to a phenomenal night that marks the return of one of the UK’s brightest talents.
JOY Promotions presents Nadine Shah
Chalk, Thursday 19th October 2023
Words by Nick McAllister
Photos by Lewis Rothwell
