Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow
2nd Feb, 2025
Celtic Connections
For my final Celtic Connections show of 2025, I headed into town to go into the illustrious and enticing Pavilion Theatre. I had long wanted to return there and after having left it for decades, it felt good to be there again. As I took my seat at the back of the stalls the vibrations of the place, its decor, proportions and not least its expectant audience streamed into a near sell out show. On first was a duo called ‘GeeJay’ who were glad to be doing a gig at the Glasgow venue, there 1st above the border.
They were an act of vocal & piano, from London/Bournemouth, two figures on a large stage, playing music to its fullest. Having been invited to join in on the Connection’s celebrations this year they were noted to be ready for it, with a sound as exclaiming as it was gracious. They find themselves as part of a new and growing musical movement called ‘New Wave’, though of course this is an early 1980’s reference. This young twosome released their debut album in 2024 called lucidly ‘What’s the Sun without the Rain’.
Her voice coupled with piano playing self written songs, jazz-like in their beauty and reverberating elegance as the songs held an audience captivated.
Lady Blackbird came on in a white and frilly cape, with hair to match; her band consisted of piano, bass, elec. guitar and percussion. Her birth name is Marley Munroe (perhaps Scottish) she was brought up in New Mexico, where her style of music has a prevalence of Jazz that sounds equipped with rhythms from soul, blues, rock. Her early involvement in music, particularly vocals, has put her on a fascinating, if heart-felt, journey.
Her strong ideas behind what she wants to do musically have guided her career into copious collaborations, recordings and performances. ‘Blackbird’ released as recently as 2020 was her debut single it its current formation. And in 2021-2022 she released ‘Black Acid Soul’ as debut album embarking on a tour that would lead to her second titled ’Slang Spirituals’ in 2023.
We saw a lady and her band making music of the highest production, with rounded effects, variants put into single streams, using all and every influence. They had a way of jamming very naturally spiralling around very complex, individualistic, musically sheer influence, creating a sound on its own and capable of bursting with themes.
Her talent as a singer exuded well, working the stage with gusto, exciting her band to play their best and leaning proudly on them where needed. Having that raw energy that the Connections does so well in gathering acts invited from across the globe for this chance, so as an audience you’re treated to something great every time.
Though these guys were high flyers everything remained down to earth, there was an honesty in the show, down to the lyrics. Every song had its own time, as they blended all with their well accomplished rock, jazz and blues basics, playing with great passion, coherence, verve and kinship.
A stage filled to the brim, an exciting sound that rocked, a healthy rivalry, an all round performance to set the place alight. Genuine, kind, loving, she sings like a bird, and drew everyone into her evening giving all as she went.
Daniel Donnelly
themumble.uk 