Anna Calvia - breathes life back into Bath!

***1/2

She leaves little to be desired...?

While the weather outside was blowing a gale we were in for a whirlwind of music from rising star Anna Calvi, I always think the music being played before an act comes on is a good sign of whether it is going to be a good night and the funky Electronic Rock certainly was a positive omen. The set opened with ‘Suzanne and I’ before blasting into the powerful recent single ‘Eliza’. This song is a good jumping off point of her style most of the songs building to a crescendo with a vulnerability mixed with the power to tear anybody to shreds.

While a lot of Scots were worrying about the winning medals for curling, this curly beauty deserved gold for her performance as the set raced along. Musically it is a bit like putting Portishead, Goldfrapp and Bjork in a blender then adding a hint of Muse guitar sounds which approached their stadium rock levels at times. That is not to say Anna Calvi does not have a distinctive style, she very much does.

‘Piece by piece’ gives the real essence of her sound, dark but rocks.  In one sense it is this side that is the only down side to the gig I could give in that after about an hour you notice the sound keeps coming up and I sort of feel that it led to a lull for a while. She has the talent to develop the sound and I am sure is only a step away from greatness. A lot of the best acts build their sound over time and I would have said the same about Muse at the same stage of their career. I think it is down to be limited to two albums and as the back catalogue increases it will be less noticeable.

Probably her best known song ‘Desire’ reignited it back to where it belongs where she dominates and controls the stage and the room. Shortly after the set went ended and the inevitable encore came around with an Avalanches laid back feel . Final songs ‘Jezebel’ sent the set into a roaring end, I came away thinking it was a great gig, I will watch again in a couple of years’ time and I am sure it will have reached epic proportions.   

Review by Jon Cooper and Photo's by Steve Owen

Check Out! the Video for 'Suddenly' Below...