Local girl done good, Lisa Redford, had the unenviable task of warming up the crowd. Her self-styled country songs are perfectly suited to her character, but she seems almost apologetic on stage. Asking the crowd if she could have a sip of whisky only added to the image of the fragile songstress.
 | | Lisa Redford supporting Johnathan Rice |
Her music may be within an existing genre, but her songwriting skills bring something new and this must have helped in securing her airplay on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 2. The beautifully wistful Lost Again is probably the most accessible song, but there are plenty of others to grab the imagination. Redford's voice may sound delicate during the verses, but she's capable of bursting into a chorus that belies her diminutive appearance. She can even sing like Kate Bush and is appearing soon at the Norwich Puppet Theatre in a Kate Bush special, so treated the crowd to a preview of her Wuthering Heights voice. Expect her to follow in the footsteps of Kate Rusby and Katie Melua before too long.ÌýÌý Eileen Rose Eileen Rose played a selection from her third album and highlighted the difference between English and American musicians. Hailing from somewhere close to Redford musically, Rose is assured when on stage. At first she followed the tried and tested folksy style, but as her set progressed she took on a more experimental sound.
 | | Eileen Rose |
The contrasting of major and minor chord sequences gave the songs a dark, slightly menacing sound. A sound which echoed perfectly the setting of the Norwich Arts Centre (NAC). With the introduction of an extra guitarist, the music became more rock orientated and there were times when you would have been mistaken for thinking you were watching Chrissie Hynde. The standout song was $20 Shoes, a number that she wrote about her dad's shoe shopping habits! If you want to hear the best elements of Eileen Rose then listen to this song. Johnathan Rice The audience reached its peak – a paltry 50 – when Johnathan Rice arrived onstage. He looked completely at ease in front of a crowd. Alternating between solo numbers and songs with the backing of his band Death Valley, the changing pace of the set provided an emotional roller-coaster ride for his fans. The dark images of the slower songs contrasted with the anger and upbeat tempo of others and again, the setting of the NAC seemed to be perfect.
 | | Johnathan Rice |
Both Rose and Rice seemed impressed with the choice of venue. 'This is such a lovely place to play' was Rice's opinion. Both singers confessed that they had never played in a church before, which may explain why they were so unnerved by the tombstones. Rice's biography names a wide-ranging list of influences, all of which were evident in the set. There was more than a hint of Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters in the guitars and the spirit of Nick Drake lives on in Rice's solo efforts - he even bears more than a passing resemblance to the late melancholy prince of sorrow. The interaction with the audience was made all the more personal by the small number of gig-goers. He seemed amazed by how quiet the crowd were during his songs and he thanked them for this, although the strength of his songs made it hard to do anything but listen. The interaction reached a peak when he began to tell the story behind one of his songs. I'd retell it, but the story of the Jewish Christmas would take this review beyond my maximum number of words! The highlight of the evening was his rendition of the old Leonard Cohen number Famous Blue Raincoat. Sticking closely to the original, Rice managed to plumb a new depth of desolation and despair that would have had Cohen himself in tears. It may be too early to pay heed to the claims that he is the 'new Bob Dylan', but on this showing, Johnathan Rice proved that he's more than a match for any current songwriter.Ìý Johnathan Rice, Eileen Rose and Lisa Redford played Norwich Arts Centre on Friday 21 October, 2005. Picture credits: Woo Back | 
