ELEANOR McEVOY , Alexander's, Chester - Thursday 6th February 2014

ELEANOR McEVOY

Alexander’s
Rufus Court
Chester
Thursday 6^th February 2014
                               

As one of the first through the door at Alexander’s at around 7:30pm on a soggy February night, you are greeted by Holly (the boss), a few friendly members of staff, around half a dozen diners, my regular seat and an empty stage. There’s not a great deal to do whilst waiting patiently for the last of the diners to hand their well licked dessert spoon to the waitress,  except to slowly slurp your coke and to check that there are no rogue instruments resting on the stands at the back of the stage. There weren’t, so It’s definitely an "Exclusively Eleanor" evening.

Thankfully it isn’t too long a wait before a couple of fellow followers locate us and our catch-ups since our last gig brought us quickly to Eleanor’s curtain call.  A quick glance round revealed a full house of 80 or so faces, old and new, all sharing a similar level of expectation.

Eleanor appeared on stage, donned the trusted Taylor (acoustic guitar) and the audience, as one, switched from transmit to receive as our artiste greeted them with Hank William’s Hey Good Looking.  Easy, comfortable and relaxed could be said of song, singer and audience. The tone was set for the rest of the evening as Eleanor flitted from one instrument to another and from one of her own songs to a cover version, each song punctuated with an entertaining story or description.

Her musical genre refuses to be pigeon holed as she is equally comfortable across the spectrum. Combine her music studies at Trinity College Dublin with her membership of the RTE Concert Orchestra and add album releases entering double figures, then quality  is high on the agenda. Eleanor played the entire gig as though she was in her own front room and the audience welcomed her in as though it was theirs.

 As far as the business end of this evening goes, Eleanor McEvoy  couldn’t have filled this venue on the strength of radio airplay. The local press helps a bit, but only a week or so beforehand.  Alexander’s was full because she has played there before and their customers’ word of mouth spreading the news. Those same customers, and then some, will return again and again because Eleanor’s and Alexander’s reputations go before them.

Website : http://www.eleanormcevoy.net

Setlist
(Acoustic Guitar) Hey Good Looking – [Hank Williams]
(Acoustic Guitar) You’ll Hear Better Songs Than This  - [Early Hours]
(Acoustic Guitar) Deliver Me – [I’d Rather Go Blonde]
(Acoustic Guitar) Easy in Love – [Yola]
(Piano)Harbour - [I’d Rather Go Blonde]
(Piano)God Only Knows – [Beach Boys][If You Leave]
(Electric Guitar)True Colours – [Cyndi Lauper][If You Leave]
(Matchboxes) If You Want Me To Stay – [Sly & The Family Stone][Love Must Be Tough]
(Electric Guitar) The Way You Wear Your Troubles – [Out There]
INTERVAL
(Electric Guitar) Eve of Destruction – [Eden Kane][I’d Rather Go Blonde]
(Violin) Look Like Me - [I’d Rather Go Blonde]
(Violin) Wrong So Wrong – [Out There]
(Violin) A medley of jigs & reels – [Trad Arr]
(Piano) Milord – [Edith Piaf]
(Electric Guitar) Only A Woman’s Heart – [Eleanor McEvoy]
(Acoustic Guitar) When You Smile – [Out There]
ENCORE
(Electric Guitar) I Knew The Bride –[Nick Lowe][Love Must Be Tough]
(Acoustic Guitar)Carrie – [Joni Mitchell]

 Eleanor McEvoy’s Album Collection

Eleanor McEvoy (1993 Geffen Records) , no longer available, but  re-issued as a special edition 2003
What’s Following Me (1996 Columbia)
Snapshots (1999 Columbia) re-mastered special edition released on the Moscodisc label 2009
Yola (2001 Moscodisc – as with all the following)
Early Hours (2004)
Out There(2006)
Love Must Be Tough (2008)
Singled Out (2009) …. There had to be a “best of” somewhere along the line
I’d Rather Go Blonde (2010)
Alone (2011) .. a spur of the moment “live” studio album
If You Leave (2013)