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Luka Bloom + Bella Hardy
Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow
4 stars
AS WE file back into Glasgow’s Mitchell Theatre after a fire alarm leaves us freezing outside, we’re greeted by Luka Bloom clad in coat, hat and knapsack. “I’m taking no chances! First warning, I’m off!” he declares.
It’s the precursor to an excellent gig, which starts on a high with Thank You For Bringing Me Here. Bloom doesn’t allow the show’s delay to restrict his set — 14 songs and two encores have the packed audience eating out of his hand.
He combines a deadpan delivery between songs, reminiscent of Dave Allen, and a powerful and unique singing voice which nevertheless brings the late John Martyn to mind.
The latter, an acknowledged influence, was covered by Bloom on the title track of his newest album Head and Heart.
The focus is mainly on Bloom’s own material yet, following the trend of many concerts in this Celtic Connections season, there’s a nod to Ewan MacColl in his version of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
Other highlights include The Bogman and Tribe, songs about belonging — “deep down, it’s where I come from,” he sings on the former and it’s clearly an important source for his life and his material.
Despite her obvious talent, support act Bella Hardy has a hard job developing a fully rounded set.
Her 10-piece band sometimes overwhelms the lyrics but the brass section certainly provides a different way in to the songs.
Maybe concerts of her own rather than as a supporting act — she is after all BBC2’s folk singer of the year in 2104 — will allow her performance to develop.
She’s on tour in April and May and is certainly worth checking out.
