From the outside, The Islington looks like an ordinary pub.
Step inside, and you’ll find a small music venue reminscient London’s The
Borderline – small and cosy, providing a great space for an intimate gig. I was
there for the first night of Back to Back Country, an event with an aim of
spotlighting artists from the UK and US country scene with the night’s line-up
consisting of two acts I wasn’t familiar with, Robbie Cavanagh and Suzette
Lawrence & The Neon Angels; and one I was, Liv Austen.
The first act, Robbie Cavanagh, provided an excellent set,
and it was pleasant to see that the small crowd that often comes with being
first on the schedule didn’t stop him from giving his all. The sound quality in
the venue was flawless, and although I hadn’t heard Robbie’s music before, I
particularly enjoyed songs like Let You Down with its heartfelt lyrics coupled
with Robbie’s soft vocals. He’ll be returning to The Islington on August 30th,
so I’d encourage anyone who likes good live music to consider heading along!
Robbie certainly wasn’t an easy act to follow, but Liv
Austen was all smiles as she took to the stage, and by the time her set began
more people had arrived, the room filling up with country music fans looking to
unwind after work. Liv kicked off the show with a track called Part Time Sweetheart, a poppy number
which gave the crowd an idea of the energy we could expect from her for the rest
of the show. With her second song Breathe
Out, she moved more into country territory as made clear by the instrumentals
of her backing band (fiddle included, of course) and Liv’s songwriting skills,
telling the story about going through life on your own and being content being single. It seemed like some
members of the audience weren’t new to Liv’s music, and I was especially
impressed to see the man standing next to me, dressed in full business attire,
mouthing all of the words and showing once again that country music is not restricted to a particular demographic or audience.
The positive reaction from the crowd undoubtedly improved
the atmosphere, and Liv seemed to become more confident as she sang the opening
words of Don’t Do It, a song she
stated is ‘for all those time you really want to say something to someone, but
chicken out and decide to write a song about it instead.’ By writing about
personal experiences, many of her songs seemed to take shape in the form of
words she couldn’t say but could sing instead, showing much the vulnerability and
honesty that are all so important for country music. Added to this, Liv clearly
knew the audience she was playing for as she began her next song, a fast-paced
cover of The Pistol Annie’s Hell on Heels,
a familiar song for many audience members which led to a bit more engagement and probably helped to
endear her to those who had come primarily to see one of the other two acts.
Nevertheless, I felt that it was with her next two songs, I Just Want to See Him and Two Choices from latest EP Who I Am Today that Liv really came into
her own, highlighting that she is just as happy playing cheery pop-influenced
songs as she is with slowed-down and emotional ballads. Things went slightly awry as we neared the end of
Liv’s set, with the lights in the venue malfunctioning and beginning to flash like a
disco. Nevertheless,
although unplanned, I think this happy accident made the event even more enjoyable,
particularly due to the choice of Liv’s next song Don’t Regret a Single One, the upbeat vibe of which was well suited
to the disco-like atmosphere. The track itself was also a pleasant break from
many country songs which focus on ‘finding the one’ whilst Liv thinks back on
the boys from her past leading her to where she is now, reminding me of a more fast-paced
version of Rascal Flatt’s Bless the
Broken Road!
Liv’s penultimate song The
Guts You Always Had was my favourite of the set in terms of style, as most
of the band left the stage leaving only Liv and her guitarist and allowing us
to truly focus on the vocals in this very personal song. With this song, Liv showed that you can never be too
personal with country music as she spoke about the influence her sister had had on her, and it’s the songs with this kind of vulnerability
that tend to resonate more with listeners. The set picked up again for final song The Next Time where the crowd was
encouraged to sing along, providing a solid and bubbly end to the short but
sweet set.
The night ended with a set from Suzette Lawrence & The
Neon Angels, a vastly different act from the two who’d come before as we were
launched into retro country, rockabilly and honky tonk. I must admit I was a
fan of the format of Back to Back Country in allowing us to see artists we
already know, learn about new ones, and hear different styles that we might
otherwise avoid. As the centrepiece of the show, Liv worked well as one of the
three acts, and stood out just as well on her own too - one to watch.
Keep yours eyes peeled
for my interview with Liv coming soon by following @CiarasCountry on Twitter
and be sure to check out Liv @LivAusten for updates on future shows
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