Heather Woods Broderick strode out first, offered a polite greeting, stood on a pedal then strum and sang the room into silence with her attentive and emotive songs. It was all plucked washes of guitar and deep wistful words from a full and charming voice, and kept the still-filling room quietly enthralled for four or so songs before the phone photographers and building waves of chatter flowed through. But hers was just a short set, and she pointed out our luck at seeing the incredible Tiny Ruins next, and the amazing Sharon Ven Etten later, whom she was lucky enough to be playing in the band with, so would be back later. “I get two paychecks this way!” she might have said, if she was an avid Simpsons watcher. But isn’t/didn’t.
The crowd had grown from anything but tiny by the time New Zealand three-piece Tiny Ruins coyly wandered on. The band inhabit a very delicate and whimsical world of eternal pleasantness punctuated by occasional emotional disasters. Tea and scones, and the odd teardrop mix with an enchanting existence of dreams and imagined faraway places and the golden days of yesteryear. Their world built around jauntily timed acoustic guitar and almost bashful singing by Hollie Fulbrook, with playful skip-along bass lines and ‘rum-pa-pum-pum’ Christmas carol-esque drumming from the fringes in a very affable set that was equally admired and adored by the audience.
It was properly packed now. A polite buzz of expectation simmering through the venue. Sharon Van Etten – in black velvet if you please – lead the band down the side of the stage stairs, her four piece band shuffling into their places in the dark. A last swig of a drink, and Van Etten plugs in, steps up to the light and strums. Her eyes close under her dense and sharp fringe and she starts on ‘Don’t Do It’ her first narrative of dealing with life’s little, but regular turbulences. The crowd erupts in affection, then retreat to their reverential stillness.
Another song, ‘Taking Chances’ another great burst of applause. A tuning break allows for a short exchange “How you all doing? Are you having a good day?” Sharon softly offers, to which a handful of people break the restrained silence with ‘whooos’. “Well, at least three people are having a good day – but don’t worry I’ll make it worse…” Van Etten replies, before pausing and adding “in a good way”. And that pinpoints the appeal of her. The songs are laden with utmost honesty and barely laid revelations of life and love not quite going so right. But its done with such self-awareness. Take the example of the attuned perception of:
“He leaves me wanting moreKnowing that I gave less”
In ‘Leonard’.
These aren’t just personal problems being imposed on you, or whiny woe-is-me wallowing, it’s the happening, the feelings and response all ridden through and reflected in these wonderfully crafted songs.
We get a glorious mix of tracks, and moods, right from the “olden days”, to a brand new song ‘I Don’t Want To Let You Down’, with the albums Tramp and Are We There? Particularly well represented. Van Etten and Woods Broderick have a unusually intense connection at the front of the stage, with lots of the songs, cues and motions directed to the latter on keys and loops stage right, as the former swaps between centre stage on guitar and a keypad/sampler on the far left. The boys on guitar, drums and bass are happy to stoically play along up back, out of the spotlight, tight and respectful. Van Etten does one song on her own, but despite hers being the name up in lights and the reason everyone is here, it obviously didn’t really feel that right, as she quickly pleaded ‘come back guys’ as the last notes rang out.
The intense adoration Van Etten attracts is best shown when a particularly besotted fella in the crowd throws up a rolled up package to the stage. It’s a red rose, wrapped up in a song, and in a narrow avoidance of mortifying embarrassment for the chap, Sharon decides not to read it out, despite all the crowd imploring her to do so.
The band bid good bye after a dozen songs, but are brayed back to the stage by the crowd’s noise. A very thankful Van Etten thanks us all so much and honours a request for ‘Ask’ which she received on Twitter. All too soon it is over, as Sharon slips out with ‘Serpent’. Everything changes, in time, but this will remain one of the more exemplary gigs of the year.
