Josephine Foster, live at The Social, London, 10 December 2006

Armed with my new EOS 350D, a little bit of money, and my dear love Randal, I made the treck to London on a Sunday night, well aware that I would be arriving home very early on Monday morning with only a few hours of sleep before the usual busy Monday morning at work. Normally I would be sensible and forgo such a late night out, but that night Josephine Foster was in the country, and I wasn't keen on missing it.

The first act to perform was Nancy Elizabeth Cunliffe, who enchanted me when she supported Jana Hunter and Marissa Nadler at the same venue earlier in the year. About half of her songs were new to me, which can hopefully mean that a new release is around the corner. Her voice is quite amazing, effortlessly reaching the right notes, especially on my favourite, The Moving Sand.
When one of her guitar strings broke on the last song, she managed to laugh it off and perform the song regardless.



UK folk artist Jane Weaver was supposed to be playing tonight, but mysteriously was absent. Admittedly I know nothing at all about her, so I was just pleased to see that Josephine was taking to the stage next.



After a soundcheck with her guitar, it was a surprise to realise that Josephine's set had already started. Nancy Cunliffe had been introduced by an MC of sorts, but Josephine managed to oh so quietly sneak her music into the general chatter of the audience.



I tend to get annoyed at people speaking over musicians, but I was so transfixed on Josephine's mouth that I barely naoticed anything else. For a while now I have been entranced by her recorded voice, so to finally see how it all works was wonderful. I was surprised to see that her lips barely part. Every note is completely effortless and beautiful.
Because of the quiet nature of her opening few songs, I wanted to keep the clicking of my camera to a minimum, so there were very few pictures actually taken during her performance; I tried to save that for the inbetween bits.



Unfortunately when the electric harp was played, a few notes caused deafening squeels of feedback. This of course broke any sort of meditative state my ears would have been experiencing.

Every song played that night was previously unheard by myself. They all were most closely related to her most recent official release, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, each one seeming to revolve less around a simple verse, chorus, verse structure, and taking on a more ethereal nature.





After three songs, Josephine introduced her acompannying guitarist. I'm sorry to say I can't recollect his name, but he played the part of Brian Goodman quite well, providing the electric 'noises'.



I believe it was on the penultimate song that Josephine sat back and watched as he fell away with his guitar and played as loudly, as excitedly, and as dreamily as he could.
Obviously it would have been wonderful to hear some familiar songs that evening, (I hear fables of a harped rendition of There Are Eyes Above which is surely worth hearing), but if what we were given was a taster of a forthcoming release, then I am more than contented.
Long live Josephine Foster, for she is great and good.



Although I had seen what I came for, the evening continued when British dance folks Men-An-Tol took to the stage. The first and only percussion of the evening livened up the audience; it felt as though the majority of people there were there for Men-An-Tol. People were singing along, bobbing and tapping their feet.



Whereas Nancy and Josephine had provided a taste of the world of the solo musician, like Bert Jansch, Man-An-Tol were perhaps more reminiscent of late 60s / early 70s folk groups like Fairport or Steeleye Span.
It's probably fair to say they did indeed rock!