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February music 1: Basia Bulat - Canada comes to town

Time flies and already it is a year since we returned to the UK from Canada. Perfect coincidence then that hugely talented Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat came to the UK this week for her first UK tour. Her nearest show to us was in Leeds' Belgrave Music Hall, so M and I braved the horrid weather for a superb show - the best gig we have been to since at least Ólafur Arnalds. 

Basia Bulat
Belgrave Music Hall is a great intimate place in the centre of Leeds. Going in there was a large bar (wide variety of beer) and seating area with different food outlets (local franchises I believe). The show was up on the 2nd floor in a very cosy, sofa filled space with a smaller bar at the back. 

Once we we all settled, support act The Sea and I came on for a short support slot. I have seen better and seen worse. Their best 2 tracks were right at the end of the set; everyone except the lead singer seemed disinterested, even bored to be there. A quick glance at their website and I find the description 'fluctuating line-ups and ever-changing instrumentation': for this show, result: mediocrity.


Basia's stage set perfectly matched the cosy venue. Performing alone, she had keyboard, charango, autoharp and dulcimer set up in easy access of the centre accentuated by fairy lights. The solo show meant that all of the songs performed had a different texture to the recorded versions. Basia also had some new technology, using live loops to accompany herself.

Basia Bulat on autoharp
The set was mostly comprised of songs from new album Tall Tall Shadow with a few older tunes. There was not a single weak part of the show  - each song was (is) a masterpiece, from opener 'The City With No Rivers', on charango, to encore 'The Shore' performed with Basia's elderly but beautiful dulcimer. I particularly enjoyed those songs performed on autoharp: 'Heart of My Own', 'Paris or Amsterdam' and 'Someone'. Keyboard-centred tracks were: 'If It Rains', 'Snakes and Ladders', 'Wires', 'Tall Tall Shadow', 'Never Let Me Go'. However the absolute stand-out moment was later on in the show when Basia performed 'It Can't Be You' in the audience, walking around with no microphone and the lights down low.

A very memorable and happy evening - a very different atmosphere from Ottawa Folkfest 2011 - creating new memories to match Basia's songs. Sometimes in the past year I have tried listening to Oh My Darling or Heart of My Own and found myself homesick, reminiscing of Folkfest, Thursday's show has helped turn a corner with a new, positive memory.   
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