Louisa Roach hit Edinburgh’s intimate boudoir for a more laid-back, acoustic affair from what we are used to from She Drew the Gun. Oozing of warmth and insight, the night was no less than any of her previous performances; in fact, it reminded us of her finely tuned talent to lyricise.
With support from The Acid Commune’s Stephen Durkan, the bar was set for a blurring night of spoken word and music, activism and contemplation. Stephen’s set, through spoken word, challenged capitalism and commercialisation in a frantic, anxious performance that seemed unrehearsed and oblivious. Whether intentional or not, this side to his set added substance to the content and invited laughter from the audience.Â
After Stephen, Louisa hit the stage, welcoming us to her living room, a stripped back stage, as she outlined that this would be an evening that would give us more context to her songwriting and well, her as a person. And that she did, if just for her poem alone about her gran, who she used to sing Patsy Cline with. There was a reverence about the evening, a heartfelt opening of the soul as we heard more stripped-down versions of ‘Behave Myself,’ ‘Diamonds in Our Eyes’ and of course, ‘Poem.’
For those who haven’t seen Louisa perform you have yet to realise this woman’s defiance through her vocal art, and stunning love letters to a better time. A politicised musician who is unwilling to take today’s privatisation hands down, she’s a force that hits you with those beautifully crafted lyrics. It was hardly surprising that many in the Voodoo Rooms this very night were revelling in this evening with She Drew the Gun. Intimate, stripped back and open, there was a warm intensity about the night.
