Type and hit ENTER

Commonly used tags...

Brighton Festival Brighton Fringe Brighton Pride British Sea Power Cinecity Lewes Psychedelic Festival Locally Sourced Lost & Found Love Supreme Festival Mutations Festival Nick Cave Poets Vs MCs Politics Rag'n'Bone Man Record Store Day Save Our Venues Six Of The Best Source Virgins Streets Of Brighton Street Source Tattoos The Great Escape Tru Thoughts Unsung Heroes
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
Reviews

Sharon Van Etten Review

Dec 21, 2014
-
Posted by SOURCE Writers

From her albums it would be easy to imagine Sharon Van Etten too fragile to perform her emotionally fraught songs, her life simply too heavy get out from under. The queen of Brooklyn Americana slipped into our consciousness with ‘Tramp’ – a devastatingly raw swirl of bad relationships, panic attacks and trying to pull yourself to a normal life. Van Etten wasn’t playing a role, having become trapped in an abusive relationship. But the self-therapy – as she describes it – works.

Initially tonight she’s shy and uneasy, but nothing beyond expectations of someone that struggled with the sort of stage fright you get from a partner telling you you’re not good enough. But at no point do the nerves get the better of the music. Her rich, textured voice moves from brooding to soaring in a heartbeat throughout. Opener ‘Afraid Of Nothing’ is emotionally demanding right out the gates, all melancholic piano stabs and plucked guitars that build to a stirring crescendo, ready for the crunchier ‘Taking Chances’ to drive things home.

And then suddenly she’s out of her shell. “Hey! What are you doing here?” she exclaims, making a joke about the fact that it’s Thanksgiving and we’re with her and not our families. It turns out she has a goofy sense of humour, testing the microphone with a chant of “poop poop poop!” “It’s my normal soundcheck,” she claims, “but there’s not normally people around!” “You may have realised that I’m not funny,” she later deadpans, to another big laugh. To say people are onside is an understatement. There are people dancing on the mezzanine of St George’s Church. Dancing. To Sharon Van Etten.

Things alternate from epic to sludgy to delicate, and then thanks to a broken guitar string after too much rocking out, she’s solo for a track that didn’t make ‘Are We There’. Stripped-down though it is, she’s calmly drowning on a song which sounds like it would have been a highlight on any Americana LP this year. When she disappears off stage the crowd clap for so long it’s clear she has no options but to come back. It’s a hard-won encore, but worth the sore palms. ‘I Love You But I’m Lost’ is one of the most tender moments of the night – “I know what a sanctuary is/Help me deserve you, sing me praise” perfectly suited to the setting.

St George’s Church, Thursday 27th November 2014
Words by Anthony Stranger
Photo by Jon Southcoasting

Dec 21, 2014
Email
SOURCE Writers
Sometimes an article is a bit of a team effort, and those are tagged SOURCE Writers. If you’d like to be part of that team, hit the Contact link at the top and get your work on this website.
← PREVIOUS POST
Octopuses Review
NEXT POST →
DRILL Festival Photos
Mailing List

Recent Posts
  • Cluedo Preview
    May 26, 2022

    Cluedo promises murder with its mystery as the board-game-turned-film-turned-stage-show lands at Theatre Royal Brighton for its next turn.

  • Comedy of Errors Fringe
    May 26, 2022

    Cut down version of Shakespeare's comedy of misrecognition, disguise and farce. Three performers with manic hat changes and cool banjo.

  • The Great Escape 2022 Review (Sat)
    May 21, 2022

    We saw a wealth of international talent at The Great Escape, but on the final day two bands from Brighton stole the show.

  • Accidental Birth of an Anarchist
    May 18, 2022

    Activists protesting against fossil fuels occupy an oil rig in this exciting collaboration between Unmasked Theatre and artists' collective Rising Tides.

  • Jacob Collier, Thursday 16th June
    May 18, 2022

    The multi Grammy-winning singer and multi-instrumentalist brings his worldwide 'Djesse' tour to Brighton Dome.

  • The Great Escape 2022 Review (Fri)
    May 18, 2022

    More bands, more reviews. Friday's festival was a heady mix of Turkish techno, gothic indie, Japanese folk, jazz punk and grime metal.

  • Gregory Porter Review
    May 17, 2022

    Gregory Porter was back in town, ahead of his headline slot at Love Supreme, with an excellent, expanded band and a totally amazing opening act.

  • The Great Escape 2022 Review (Thur)
    May 16, 2022

    The Great Escape made a triumphant return with three days of musical mayhem across the city. Here's a round-up of two dozen acts we caught on Thursday.

Website developed in Brighton by Infobo
Copyright © Brighton Source 2009-2021
Sharon Van Etten Review - Brighton Source