Live Review

Alex Winston – King Tut’s, Glasgow

• 19th Jun 2011

Last night’s show was part of a tour that had been postponed for a month or so to allow Alex Winston to finish her debut album, which is due for release in August. But no one was complaining; her performance made it well worth the wait.

This was one of King Tut’s more diverse bills and first on stage was Scottish singer songwriter Jonathan Sebastian Knight. His gentle folk songs were performed over minimal electric guitar backing. He has written some decent love songs and his fingerpicking playing style provided a pleasant accompaniment. Knight was joined for several songs by vocalist Jessie, who provided a nice counterpoint to his rather flat vocals.

The second support was Glasgow electro-pop band Fridge Magnets. They turned the temperature up with a high energy performance backed by a bewildering array of lights. Their lead singer has a strong voice and led the band well, backed by the keyboards and electronic drum kit, as well as guitar and bass. Their single, Death Of Rock n’ Roll, was the highlight of a quality set that had many in the crowd dancing.

Alex Winston and her backing band came onto stage to a backing track before launching into Fire Ant. The Detroit native has a high, quirky pop voice but she has power too and she knows exactly how to perform on stage. She covered every inch in a dynamic performance that saw her leap and dance, long dark hair flowing behind her.

Two female backing vocalists added the harmonies, producing a rich tone, and with able backing from two guitars, keyboards, bass and drums this was very much a band performance rather than a solo show. But there was no doubting who the star of the show was.

With little time to waste, the songs kept coming, all perfectly delivered by a classically trained voice that has adapted well to pop music. Locomotive is a fine fast paced pop song, while the drum heavy beat of Velvet Elvis backed a more mature sounding vocal.

Winston left her best known tracks until the second half of a set that was much too short. Her new single Sister Wife is another excellent pop song showcasing her fine vocals. It has a great melody and is a radio friendly track that deserves to be heard. And Choice Notes, which has already been used in a couple of tv adverts, was well received by an audience that needed little encouragement to clap along.

The energy of Alex Winston’s performance was excellent throughout. She stood atop the drum kit to sing, then danced across the stage with every male in the crowd, and probably a few of the females, unable to take their eyes off her.

She tossed her tambourine into the audience, surprising someone in the front row, before going into the crowd later to retrieve it. And she ended the set flat on her back but still singing. There was no encore, leaving the crowd wanting more, which is never a bad way to end a show.

Alex Winston has a busy summer ahead, with festival appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, culminating in an appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival. I have a feeling we are going to be hearing a great deal more about the talented Ms Winston over the next few months.