Ren Harvieu with Romeo Stodart + Gabriella Jones @ o2 Institute, 30th September 2016

Brum Live did some judicious juggling with priorities to score double-Diva reviews tonight. Firstly, it was Birmingham chanteuse cauldron of cool, Ms Gabriella Jones with second guitarist Oliver Powell. They open with All The Things You’ve Been Missing. A dreamy Fleetwood Mac Albatross style of groove with lashings of guitar reverbs. The venue room, The Blue? Is an acoustic nightmare and enough to make any sound-mixer weep into their ‘pots’.(And they did their damndest!)

But even so, that voice! Is it subtle alt.Torch with a dabble of Skat smokey syncopated Jazz, rap-wrapped in a velvet-gloved fist kissed with diamonds? Her chic, slick, stealth-Rock chick persona growls sveltely, complimenting her trembling tremolo poise singing off and around the beat. She knows how to tune up the crowd with her call and response. Ms. Jones is a studied, timeless and sensuous, sultry gypsy-alabaster Isis. And was that diaphanous gown secreted from the wardrobe of the Tarot card High Priestess? Or was its exoticism inspired by frisky Pompeii frescos? Was it even legal? Night club/cabaret promoters need check her out swiftly. Young, in command, demanding and gifted. Do something about it.

A stealth avalanche of enigmatic magic, Ren Harvieu’s Siren song enchantments seduces and beguiles with trance inducing wonder. Sometimes cited as Salford’s own singing sensation, she has been likened to Duffy, Rumer and Adele with a dash of, ‘… string-soaked white soul of Dusty Springfield meets the musical majesty of the Walker Brothers.’ Well, that’ll do to be getting on with. But what about Aretha Franklin, maybe? But Harvieu’s voice is her very own – like a soothing, smoothing phosphorescent moonlight ocean wakes that trace lonesome ghost-ships passing in the night.

Sonorous echoes pouting bewitching, cryptic messages of love and loss, heartbreak and hope come as gig-default with Ms Harvieu. Tonight she’s very well at ease and shooting a gentle alt. Country & Western breeze in her cowgirl denim fringed shirt. Magic Numbers’ Romeo has been working with her this past year or so and my does it give her wings to fly. His understated, consumate guitar playing is astounding. And the band as well. This was Heaven. Casually cool but laser focused, her vocal range and registers shift on a sixpence. A mesmerising mosaic and spine-shivering tapestry of tempo change majesty. If the growly, moody minor chord riffed ‘Cruel Disguise doesn’t get to be a future Bond film title track then there’s no sense left in the World at all.

The scandalously witty and ironic Sneak Out The Back Door, a Ron Sexsmith cover, was a humdingin’ picking’ hoot. A charming buddy-fest encore saw support acts, Miranda Lee Richards/Goat Roper Rodeo Band cover The Band’s ‘Weight’. Both sets sadly missed due to seeing the strange, elusive Ms Gabriella Jones earlier on. Ask yourselves Birmingham punters, why was the gig only a third full? She’ll be nabbed by America any time soon and you’ll only have yourselves to blame.

Earlier the same day, rumour has it, as the Rosetta probe was sent spiralling towards its terminal comet crash-landing site, Mission Control sent one final data download – Ren Harvieu’s cover of Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying Over You’. Rosetta and Ren – ambassadors of the universal language of love. And Gabriella, of course.

Ren Harvieu Set list included –

Crying On Me

Do Right By Me

Hate To Love

I Want To Live In This World

Trick Of The Light

‘Unnamed’

You Don’t Know Me

Cruel Disguise

Curves & Swerves

Sneak Out The Back Door

A Lot Of Love

Hello Trouble

Weight

Gabriella Jones Set List –

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