Live Review

Rumer – Classic Grand, Glasgow

• 19th Jan 2011

A capacity crowd at Glasgow’s Classic Grand was superbly entertained by two fine female voices last night in a show that had been rescheduled from December. Unusually there were tables and chairs set out on the floor of the venue, leaving the majority of the audience packed around the sides, giving something of a club feel.

Phantom Limb were first on stage. Or, more accurately, it was three of the Bristol based sextet who performed a fine set, with the inimitable Yolanda Quarty being backed by Stew Jackson on guitar and Dan Moore on keyboards.

There are few vocalists who can match the power and precision of Yolanda Quarty. She has tremendous vocal range and the ability to move from soulful and wistful to broken hearted blues quite effortlessly. And when Quarty lets her voice soar in its full majestic glory, you can see from the audience reaction that they know they are in the presence of a very special musical talent.

Unfortunately this was only a 30 minute set, and from the groan that went up when the last song was announced, the crowd wanted more. Standout tracks were the powerful and emotional Withering Bones and the softer It’s The Only Way, but in truth every song was a delight.

Phantom Limb combine southern soul and country blues with just a hint of gospel in a way that sounds fresh and modern. With a new album due for release shortly, Phantom Limb are definitely a band to look out for.

After a brief interlude, Rumer strode confidently onto the stage. Sarah Joyce’s rise to prominence has appeared sudden, although the singer songwriter paid her musical dues in several bands before being discovered.

With recent nominations in two categories at this year’s Brit Awards – ‘British Breakthrough Act’ and ‘British Female Solo Artist’ – behind her, expectations were high. And Rumer met every one of them, her voice smooth and strong with the crowd hanging on every word.

Supported by a six piece band that included two fine backing singers, Rumer was the undoubted centre of attention. From a beautifully delivered Slow to the more delicate vocal styling of Aretha she played the songs that the crowd wanted to hear.

Other highlights of a sixty minute set included Blackbird from the excellent debut album, Seasons Of My Soul, and an exquisite cover of Paul Simon’s Long Long Day.

Comparisons to Karen Carpenter have been made many times in the media, and it is easy to see why. Rumer has a similar tone and the ability to add a soulful edge to her vocals that sets her apart from many other pop singers,

Yet she also displayed a soft rock feel on Bread’s Goodbye Girl, while the encore saw Take It To The Limit reinterpreted from the Eagles’ classic country rock to soul tinged beauty.

This was a performance from Rumer that showed her undoubted talents as a singer and songwriter, but also as a live performer. Ably backed by the musicians around her, she showed exactly why she deserves the success she is currently enjoying.

It was also noticeable how much the age of the audience varied last night. Rumer has an appeal to the younger music fans, but also to many of, shall we say, mature years. And with such a varied fan base, more success seems inevitable for Rumer.