Ashley Monroe at Bush Hall

Ashley Monroe
Sean McConnell
Bush Hall, 30 January 2019

Sparrow, the latest album by country star Ashley Monroe (also of the supergroup Pistol Annies) is a lush, strings-filled affair, the music gently reflecting the emotion of the heart-felt, personal songs. It's a showstopper and one of the best records of last year. Yet, here she is alone on a stage in the beautifully, atmospheric Bush Hall, with just her powerful voice and an acoustic guitar and somehow it is as full and as affecting as all those strings and epic sounds. That's because beneath the wonderful production, Monroe is a brilliant storyteller, a fantastic songwriter and a powerful performer. All she needs is a guitar and she manages to captivate us all: she is spellbinding.

The minute she appeared on stage, looking like some kind of country spiritual sister to Lady Gaga, wearing a long green dress, her long platinum locks cascading down her back, she shined with an incredible aura of star power. Already wearing her black acoustic guitar, she stepped up to the mike and began singing the bluesy Hands On You, the first single from her record, her voice sweet, sultry and passionate. There was something about her voice that reminded me of Patty Griffin, which is never, ever a bad thing.

Rather nicely, the first few songs are all from the superb Sparrow, with the soulful Hard On A Heart sounding like classic 70s singer-songwriter fare, followed by the bittersweet Mother's Daughter, about her relationship with her mother written after she became a mother herself. Then she begins the first chords of the timeless Edith Piaf song La Vie En Rose and promptly forgets the lyrics, but like a true professional she simply laughs and begins the whole thing again and let me tell you she knocks it out of the park. It's not an easy thing to cover an artist like Edith Piaf but Monroe's voice is so stunning and strong I doubt there was a person in Bush Hall not under her spell.

She then delved into her back catalogue receiving a huge cheer in particular for her first single Like A Rose. Sometimes she told the stories behind the songs, telling us that the Sparrow song She Wakes Me Up (Rescue Me) was actually inspired by her new dog (and supposed to be also about her new baby before they discovered it was a boy), which of course completely won my heart.

There were more covers too. She brought her support act, singer-songwriter Sean McConnell, back out to sing a rather lovely version of The Cranberries classic, Linger, and later, while seated at the grand piano she sings a plaintive version Always On My Mind, telling us it's her son's favourite song and the song she most wished she had written.

Maybe the most poignant moment though came when she sang one of the most outstanding songs on Sparrow, the sad Orphan, written about her dad's death when she was just 13. Equally affecting though, but in an entirely different way, was the song Wild Love, sounding romantic and slinky, her voice rising and shaking the jeweled chandeliers that decorate the ornate Bush Hall.

There were funny moments too, not least her risque song Weed Instead Of Roses, which she tells us her producer, country legend Vince Gill (who produced her first two albums), insisted be on her debut despite being her "raunchiest" song, the lyrics about swapping wine for whiskey and pulling out "the whips and chains" putting some smiles on the decidedly middle-aged audience!

Monroe with Sean McConnell

For the encore she returns for two more acoustic songs, first the title track to her second album The Blade and the moving tribute to her late father, Daddy I Told You, which proved a rather lovely and fitting end to the night.

There was never any doubt that Monroe is a huge talent but to see her perform tonight with such passion and skill and such a talent for storytelling was truly breathtaking, it made me appreciate her in a whole new light altogether.

Supporting tonight was the aforementioned Sean McConnell, a bespectacled, bearded singer-songwriter I must admit I hadn't heard of before who has already released 12 albums (the first aged just 15!), with another due out next week. Apparently he's written lots of songs for huge country acts such as the Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw and Martina McBride, among many others. I couldn't identify the exact songs he's written and I've never heard his recorded output myself, but as a guy with a guitar projecting a story with a song he was undoubtedly effective with an able voice that reminded me of the singer of Turin Brakes. I think McConnell already has quite the cult following and while I wasn't quite bowled over enough to buy his new album from him (he had advance copies) after the show, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing him live again in the future.