The Unthanks
The Unthanks
Posted: 28 Oct 2009
The Unthanks, The Sage Gateshead
This was a tender homecoming for the beguiling folk singing sisters Rachel and Becky, from the Tyne Valley.
As they joked with the sell-out audience in 1,700 seater Hall One, a lot of people (not from the region) think they are from Northumberland. But Rachel reminded everyone: ‘We’re actually from the borough of Gateshead.’
The Ryton-born girls have a new look 10-piece line up which includes Rachel’s husband and band manager Adrian McNally, on keyboards. It certainly gives them a richer, fuller sound.
And the change of moniker from Rachel Unthank & the Winterset to simply their surname reflects younger sister Becky’s growing role in the group.
Her heartbreaking voice stole the show – in spite of a few frogs in her throat at the start of the performance. ‘I’m not nervous. I’m not very well,’ she explained.
Becky’s husky, reedy vocals sound almost like a clarinet – it’s an incredible human instrument.
Maybe this gruelling 40-date UK tour is taking a bit of a toll. They played a lot of material from their superb new album Here’s the Tender Coming.
Like the previous 2007 album the Bairns, it’s astonishing how they can weave such sweetness and beauty out of dark subject matter. They play cleverly with form and content and, particularly in their live shows, recognise that humour is the handmaid of sorrow and fear.
The title track Here’s the Tender Coming, for example, is no hearts and flowers poem to a lover rather a gritty tale about the boat on its way to press sweethearts to sea.
They proudly paid tribute to the influence of mum and dad who were in the audience to see them. Dad George, of course, played in the folk group the Keelers.
The girls also tipped their hats to other musical influences in this two-hour show with a haunting version of Nic Jones’ Annachie Gordon (I’d love to hear Becky sing his heart-rending Ploughman Lad), Lal Waterson’s At First She Starts and Ewan MacColl’s Nobody Knew She Was There.
Their eclectic musical mix (they also did the Beatles' Sexy Sadie) transcends traditional folk boundaries and propels their art into new areas.
And as ever the girls’ clog-dancing routines – they also tap in their trendy high heels for some of the songs – got a tumultuous reception from an appreciative home crowd.
Michael Hamilton
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