Ward Thomas plus support from Kezia Gill

The last time I had the pleasure of seeing Ward Thomas, one half of the two-sister band was heavily pregnant, Catherine. Now, baby here, they hit the road in a stripped back fashion in support of their latest album ‘Music In The Madness’. But first, a lady whom we are big fans of, Kezia Gill. We made sure we were there in plenty of time to see her. Wow, what a talented lady, who trips over country/pop/folk/ Irish folk. Her vocals are top notch, with a power and control that is very rare, with songs that can go from very emotional to the flippant, as with what has become her finale song of late, ‘Whiskey Drinkin Women’. I had the pleasure in bumping into Ms Gill in the foyer, what a friendly lady, and although it was only the break before Ward Thomas took to the stage, there was a big queue to the merch desk, and people with CDs in hand. Can’t wait for a full band, headline tour – half an hour is not long enough.

Ward Thomas, who have been hailed as the biggest country act in Britain, looked relaxed taking their seats. Yes, it was a stripped-down performance, but their vocals weren’t stripped of anything. Individually they are excellent vocalists, but when they harmonise, it’s a thing of beauty. Going through their back catalogue with ease, they kept their fans very happy. Not overdoing the new album, playing only three numbers, to give the fans a glimpse of where they are at with ‘Music In The Madness’, which went down well. Throw in a couple of covers like ‘The Middle’ and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Landslide’, which was hair-raising, and of course ‘Cartwheels’, a staple of their live show. Plus having Kezia Gill come on to do a tune with them, which was unreal, their three voices combining in a stunning three-part harmony was as good as anything you would hear in studio recording, sublime. It all made for an excellent night. Next time I would like to see Ward Thomas with full band for a change.

Photos by Geoff Griffe
Review by Jenny Griffe