It's common to be bombarded with literature when you go to gigs. I went to shows in Japan where I was handed a sheath of posters and flyers as thick as a Sunday paper on my way in and an equally hefty load on my way out. The only thing handed me as I left Shindig at St Philips on Mill Road was a handwritten copy of Return From A Walk by Frederico Garcia Lorca. A flyer for the next event wouldn't have hurt as this one could not have been more moving and memorable.
As usual visitors were struck by the unique atmosphere as soon as they walked through the door. A candlelit stall sold refreshments from CB1 Cafe. Another table was decorated with lights and assorted trinkets and other pictures and candles were to be found dotted around the venue. Members of the audience were encouraged to write messages on post-it notes and stick them up around the venue.
Compere Fay Roberts opened proceedings with a poem and introduced first act, Fake Maria. The duo of Hayley Foster and Matt Bothwell were an instant hit when they started playing at Allographic - Matt playing guitar and Hayley reading poems. At this, one of their first official shows they used keyboard in addition to guitar filling the room with beautiful melodies and words.
They were followed by Gaze is Ghost, singer-songwriter Laura McGarrigle. She was accompanied at short notice by a guitarist whose name I didn't catch and Fay who added percussion and backing vocals to Laura's exquisite and tender vocals and piano.
Finally Clorinde made a welcome return to the venue. The mainly Italian, London based instrumental group played interpretations of famous poems. The band performed on multiple instruments as a videos played along with recordings of works including Blake, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson and Charles Bukowski.
