All photos courtesy of Chris Hogge Photography
Holding Up Half the Sky is an extraordinary piece of work. An album of songs inspired by female empowerment, from Xan’s own experiences and those of inspirational women from history.
An extraordinary achievement needs to be launched in extraordinary surroundings. Where could be more unique and special than the world’s oldest surviving music hall, the place where a sixteen year old Stan Laurel first tread the boards.
This is an event that has been two years in the planning. I say event as it was much more than just a gig (a phenomenally special and emotional gig granted – not “just” a gig), this was Xan’s vision finally coming to fruition. Each song on the album was interpreted by 13 different visual artists, their works displayed around the historic surroundings of this special place, Xan and this special gig are now forever embedded in the history of the venue and what its walls have witnessed, if only walls could speak.
There was an opportunity to take in the artwork, and the surroundings of the Panopticon before Xan and her entourage took to the stage, when they did take their positions, they started the show with a couple of songs not featured on Holding Up Half the Sky, first up was the sublime Mantra followed by Vicky, from her Let it Come Down collaboration with Kramer. After only two songs Xan had already proved to the lucky 80 in attendance in the Panopticon (and hopefully to herself) that her internal self-sabotaging voice had no reason to start its niggling.
The rest of the set, bar one song, came from the new album, Holding Up Half the Sky, produced by the renowned Boo Hewerdine, who joined the core trio on piano and acoustic guitar. That trio was made up of Xan, John Rooney on acoustic and electric guitar, and Adam Scott on acoustic bass (and Emma Pollock vocals…), also joining the fray, was the horn/woodwind section, The Berrie Horns. All coming together to create a quiet riot of mellifluous sound while managing to keep things within the buildings decibel restrictions.
The first of the album songs in the set was fitting, as it became a bit of an analogy for the evening. The dreamily atmospheric sounds of Freaks, a song about surrounding yourself with like minded people who’ve got your back, filled the air to the joy of the captivated crowd.
Xan has the technique for transfixing an audience down to a t, both with the music and lyrics, but also in engaging the listener with the stories behind the songs. Take Rebecca’s Desk as an example, the inspiration for the lyrics taken from feminist writer Rebecca Solnit whose desk was given to her by a friend who had been subjected to a near fatal violent domestic attack.
The mesmerising tunes flowed effortlessly, continuing with Miniature Oceans, the first single from the album and with Adam taking on the Emma Pollock parts, the affecting February evoking the mood of the season, and the tears to a glass eye story of Xan’s father’s aunt Joanna and her friend Joyce so charmingly and compassionately delivered.
Including an Omnichord solo, Like Birds, from the Mad Professor collaboration, Clarion Call was a radical reworking of the tune before Xan delivered one of the unexpected highlights if the night.
My choice of seat proved to be fortuitous with a spine tingling performance of Forever Things, inspired by Molly and Nick Drake, which saw Xan depart the stage to join Boo at the piano and Khalil Johnson on cello to perform a life affirming version of the song sans mic right in front of me. Absolute perfection.
The final (!) song of the set was the witch trials inspired Devils Hand, John Rooney’s sinisterly effective use of an e-bow adding to the foreboding atmosphere of the song.
Of course things weren’t quite over, the encore coming in the form of Ziggy, the upbeat calypso rhythm bringing everyone to the stage for one last celebration of female empowerment. Or was it.
Having been struck by the power of the minimalism of the final song on the album, there could only be one set closer, Four Little Words. The last four words left hanging in the air as Xan left the stage perhaps the strongest statement of the entire night. It’s. Not. Your. Fault.