Addison's Uncle fundraising night
A triumph.
On a night when the whole country seemed obsessed by the FA Cup, or winning the £57 million Lotto draw, or both, it was reassuring to see a more altruistic crowd packing out Norwich Arts Centre to support Plan-UK's 'Because I Am A Girl' fundraiser for promoting worldwide safety and education for adolescent females.
The line-up included three quality Norfolk acts - Jake Morrell, Kingdom Keys, and Addison's Uncle, and it was Jake that opened the evening. Originally from Kings Lynn, but now based in London, and more usually performing as the four-piece Jake Morrell Band, his impressive blend of folk-rock and country covered the usual angst-filled tales of hunger, cold and whisky, but tonight's solo set also gave a chance to explore a softer side to his soul, especially with new songs Not Too Late For New, and the gentle love song Clover. Look forward to his return to NAC on February 6th when he supports Jarrod Dickenson.
Six-piece Kingdom Keys, also hailing from KL, formed in February 2015 and have already created quite a wave within their own wash and beyond. Their sound may not be the most fashionable around at the moment – think retro and think Doobie Brothers meet Whitesnake, think contemporary and go Kings Lynn of Leon. A veritable force of rock and acoustic combining to riff their way to your heart, Kingdom Keys tonight added to their Norwich fanbase picked up at The Owl Sanctuary in November. You Are Not Alone demonstrates both their musicality and vocal talents and probably remains the most memorable number from their set.
Addison's Uncle almost feel like family friends to many of us in Norwich, so it is a real pleasure to witness them play a crowd that includes so many 'out-of-townies'. The delight on the faces of those experiencing The B1159 for the first time is always something to behold. Tonight there's a guy in tweeds who looks a bit like Prince Harry giving it his all right in front of the stage. Perhaps it was?
James Maas' ukelele playing has become even more animated and manic since going 'wireless', and tonight there's no containing him. Georgia Shackleton displays diva-like demands over her monitor levels, and suffers the band's back-banter as a consequence. Philip Pearson continueshis knack of setting Norfolk folklore to words and music, and tonight introduces two new songs – The Drover's Dog and Berney Brograve, both inspired by stories from his Horsey and Waxham environs. The high-octane cover of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain gives Joe Hartley a chance to make the most of the Grand Prix of bass solos, and the highly-anticipated and always-welcome rendition of The Devil Went Down to Georgia provides the perfect encore.
A sterling effort from Emma Lord and Chloë Hamer in organising the whole event, and a triumph for Plan-UK and all three acts in selling out the night completely.
