EMMA POLLOCK | LIVE REVIEW

The Moon Club, Cardiff, Mon 16 May

The problem with Womanby Street is that it is either rammed or deserted; there’s no real middle ground where people casually wander up in the hope of discovering some talent playing their hearts out in the half dozen or so venues that are dotted along its one thousand feet. Thankfully, I was made aware that Emma Pollock (formerly of the much-missed Delgados) was about to play her heart out at The Moon Club, with the added bonus of long-time collaborator and Glasgow DIY scene stalwart RM Hubbert being added to the bill late on.

First up was local singer-songwriter Laura Elizabeth Johnson performing a solo show away from her usual involvement with Think Pretty. An uplifting set it was not, with subject matter delving into the dark side of prescription drugs and stalking – the antidote to an otherwise pleasant, sunny evening. Her voice though, was strong, commanding the stage with the minimum of effort.
After a short recess, the imposing figure of RM Hubbert (affectionately, ‘Hubby’) set himself down on what appeared to be a rickety piano stool and opened with We Radioed, highlighting his strong classical guitar skills. The crowd were respectfully silent but the air conditioning (essentially half a dozen desk fans strapped to the ceiling) was not, prompting the sound engineer to glide around on an equipment case and switch them off.  A few songs from the set were taken from Thirteen Lost & Found, an album of collaborations with Glasgow indie royalty such as Alex Kapranos, Aidan Moffat and members of the aforementioned Delgados. Emma Pollock gamely stood in to provide vocals for a couple of songs, but the highlight was Hubbert’s own take on Moffat’s monotone Falkirkian drawl for Car Song. Coupled with his self-deprecating, sometimes gallows humour, it was a funny, touching set.

Emma Pollock is tiny. A throwaway comment maybe, but she was dwarfed by her “first new guitar in 20 years” as she took to the stage with her touring band and proceeded to belt out songs predominantly from her latest (brilliant) album In Search Of Harperfield. The reason that I mention Pollock’s diminutiveness is that it comes as a surprise when you hear her voice. It manages to be soft and powerful at the same time and can be tailored to many different styles of music. Her set included elements of folk, rock and pop (all of the indie variety, of course) and the building crowd did start what appeared to be a shuffle in unison once the Red Stripe had rid them of their inhibitions.

If you’re at a loose end one evening, take a trip up Womanby Street. If you’re lucky, you may happen upon a show that was as funny, eventful and warm as this one.

words and photos BEN GALLIVAN