Holly Macve at St John On Bethnal Green

Holly Macve
Will Stratton
St John On Bethnal Green, 6 April 2017

I've never actually been to St John On Bethnal Green before but this is my fifth church, at least, I've been to in London for a gig. It makes sense to make use of them in this way, the concerts must provide a much needed stream of revenue for the churches plus the sound and the atmosphere is always fantastic especially for acoustic shows. Of the ones I've been to, St John has to be the least impressive and definitely the gloomiest of them all, something not helped by the drab and slightly creepy grey paintings of the crucifixion behind the altar and around the church. It is quite a contrast to the beautiful stained glass and warm feeling of the Union Chapel but once seated in my pew at the front there was a nicely intimate atmosphere as support act Will Stratton took to the altar-turned-stage.

I have to admit that I've never heard of Stratton before but the Californian-born singer-songwriter has apparently released five albums and his forthcoming sixth record, Rosewood Almanac, is his first to be released by new label Bella Union. He definitely has the look of a folkie: thick brown beard, shirt and jeans, acoustic guitar held high up on his chest.
His quiet, guitar-picking style is hugely reminiscent of folk greats like Nick Drake and Bert Jansch. The couple in front of me, who were from the record company, were obviously not only proud of their new signing but huge fans, with big grins on their faces the whole performance. I didn't find him quite so life-changing but he was certainly a pleasant listen and Stratton himself came across very charming. I didn't catch the name, but his final song in particular showed off his great guitar playing. I'm sure his new album (and his previous ones too) will be worth a listen.

Not long after Holly Macve walks in wearing a stunning, 70s-style, full length silver gown and the large black hat she seems to sport in every promo photo. With her long blonde hair and her pouting red lips, she looks stunning and every bit the country star. Despite her record sounding like a cross between Patsy Cline, Lana Del Rey, Lera Lynn and Chris Isaak's Wicked Game come to life, Macve was actually born in Galway, Ireland and brought up in Yorkshire. She's also only 21 years old yet sounds like an old soul, while her songs are like ghostly desert tales.

She begins the night alone on stage to sing the plaintive opener of her debut album, White Bridge, where she sadly tells us "I'll never be the same again". Her guitarist then joins her for the spooky croon of The Corner Of My Mind. By the third tune, the toe-tapping twang of Heartbreak Blues, the full band is on the stage and it sounds great. There's no doubt that music like this sounds wonderful in old churches and Holly Macve in her sparkling dress and the sad tone of her voice, fits in nicely.

Macve alternates between acoustic guitar and keyboards and seems very sweet if a little shy when she speaks between songs. She asks if we want a new song or the album track Fear when she does another couple of songs alone in the middle of the set and the crowd inevitably goes for Fear.
She also gives us a rather lovely cover of Melanie's We Don't Know Where We're Going, another lady with an unusual voice who I'm sure must have been a big inspiration to Macve, and she more than does the song justice. She ends the set  on the gospel-tinged title track to the album Golden Eagle, which of course fits the setting perfectly.

After plenty of applause and cheers, she returns for one final solo acoustic number, Sycamore Tree, where she reminds me more of a young Joni Mitchell than any country artist, and, of course, being compared to Joni is never a bad thing.

I do wonder just who Macve will ultimately appeal to: her album is a little too Lana Del Rey for the true country crowd and too country for the indie kids, but there is an appealing darkness to her sound and it's very evocative of another time and place. People seem to either love or hate her voice, which turns from a croon to a yodel often, but I think there's something rather lovely about it. It's hard to know where she will go from here but it will definitely be interesting to hear what she does next, and I know I'm glad I caught her early on because this small, intimate show was very enjoyable indeed.