Eddi Reader - Southbank, London - 26/5/09
3/5
By: Tom Hocknell
The first thing Eddi Reader does is introduce the band, contravening established gig etiquette, alongside eschewing an encore. In fact her stage banter is as entertaining as the songs. The name-call is like a Retirement Home breakfast call of 80's indie bands - Boo Hewerdine (ex-The Bible and "best songwriter in England"), John Douglas (ex-Trashcan Sinatra's and "her life partner, for the moment") and Roy Dodds, ex-Fairground Attraction, or as Eddi's children have it "some 80's band called Fatal Attraction."
The show is steeped in her love for Scot compatriot, Robert Burns, playing several songs from her covers album, alongside 'Leezie Lindsay', that Eddi and Boo wrote verses around the existing chorus. She cites Burns as the perfect collaborator, "as he's dead". Despite the traditional folk nature of the show, she gleefully succeeds in covering in conversation Peter Andre, Celtic football club, Elvis, the TV show Charmed, Gypsies, Louis Armstrong and Rod Stewart.
The set is not solely covers, nor is it all about 'Perfect', which she tosses out acapella, instead she and solo artist Heidi Talbot elegantly wrestle for ownership of Boo's 'Muddy Water', which they have both recorded.
Despite her wry humour, romance is seldom far away, with 'Ae Fond Kiss' getting a welcome airing, amongst material written by John Douglas (the heart-melting, city-drenched 'New York City') and 'Bell, Book and Candle', another Boo co-write, which he duets to a heart-melting finish. Whilst the accordion would occasionally benefit from less wheezing, Eddi skips around the stage like a 20 year old, playing air-guitar, drums and even flute with admirable abandon, which finally gets the crowd to their feet, and the band leave the stage, gracefully allowing us time to catch trains home.
Artists in this article: Eddi Reader
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