Caitlin Rose at Earth

 

Caitlin Rose

Dominic Billett

Earth, 28 April 2023

I can't believe it's 13 years since Caitlin Rose's debut album, Both Sides Now, completely won me over. For a while she was a regular feature of this blog, as I pretty much went to every London show, whether she was supporting another artist or headlining on her own, I was just in love with her music and utterly charmed by her as a person: I even got to sit down and interview her and fangirl over our mutual love of Linda Ronstadt. But then, after one more brilliant album (The Stand-In) she seemed to disappear and I wondered if she had given up music completely.

Rose hasn't divulged exactly why she dropped out of music for so long, although writer's block seems to be one reason, but when she announced her comeback, not only was I thrilled but the result, Cazimi, was everything I hoped it would be: clever, catchy and cool. It was definitely one of my albums of the year and I felt excited that, ten years after seeing her live last, I would finally be catching Caitlin in concert once again.

The concert was at Earth, a venue I've only been to once to see Bat For Lashes a few years back. It's a lot bigger than the previous places I've seen Rose, but also I'm older and more tired now, so the fact it's a seated venue was particularly appealing. Plus I managed to score a seat right in the front row although as the stage is so big, you probably can't tell that from my bad iPhone photos.  

Before Rose made her return to a London stage though, the support act turned up nice and early: a singer-songwriter called Dominic Billett, who is actually also the drummer in Rose's band, and he was accompanied by another member of the band, guitarist, Jerry Bernhardt. The two sat with guitars, their faces almost in the shadows, but despite looking super shy, were actually fairly chatty, talking to the crowd between songs from the start. Billett reminds me of a few other artists, in particular his vocals reminded me of My Morning Jacket's Jim James, but definitely with a more Nashville/country influence. As I wasn't familiar with his music, I can't tell you any tunes in particular that stood out but the highlight was certainly when Caitlin Rose joined them on stage, sitting at the drumkit, to sing with the pair on a cover of a song by The Kernal (another artist I had never heard of), who Billett told us was one of his favourite ever songwriters. The track, She's Seeing Somebody, certainly made me want to check out his music and it was nice to see a relaxed and happy Rose dance her way off the stage at the end, showing she was in a good mood for tonight's show.

As this was certainly one of Rose's biggest ever London shows, even ten years down the line after she had last played here, it made sense she made a showbizzy entrance, only running on stage after the band had already started playing, suitably beginning the set with the album's bright and brilliant opener, Carried Away. It sounds bigger and even more optimistic live and it's great to finally hear Rose's sweet, often tender, yet attitude-filled voice live once again. 

The first half of the show is a fantastic showcase for the new album, with the band whizzing through some of the best tracks (although no Modern Dancing! One of my absolute faves), with the uniquely brilliant Black Obsidian sounding particularly incredible and, although she seems doubtful that Getting It Right, the song she co-wrote with Courtney Marie Andrews, works in a live setting, after giving it a "Jimmy Buffet" treatment, it sounds so catchy and full of sunshine, with Jerry doing a great job of filling in Andrews's backing vocals.

In between plenty of onstage banter (she does enjoy responding to things shouted out by the crowd I must say, which is no bad thing), from being high on her cold medication, to asking our favourite muppet to managing to cram in her nightly Terminator quote, she even gives us a couple of memorable covers. The first is a tremendously moving version of the Jason Molina song, Nashville Moon, then later there is a soulful and rousing take on the old classic, If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody, which is certainly worth of Linda Ronstadt herself, and finally a super fun and joyful cover of That Thing You Do! The title track from the 1996 film about the fictional 60s pop sensations The Wonders. The band look like they are having an absolute ball playing it and the feeling is utterly contagious.

For a while I did wonder if she had turned her back on her earlier material. In a way it would make sense, as it's been so long since her first two albums and this new record feels like a new start. But midway through she says she reconciled some of her complicated feelings about her second record, The Stand-In (I had no clue she didn't like it) and because she didn't really tour it, over here at least, she was going to play some tunes from it tonight and they all sound so good. First there's the lovely lament of Pink Champagne, then the upbeat, pedal-steel-fuelled No One To Call and finally, in the encore, Only A Clown, which actually gets the seated audience off their seats and dancing!

She saves the Own Side Now tracks to the very end, which makes sense as that album didn't just win me as a fan, but probably every one here, ending with Own Side and an absolutely rousing Shanghai Cigarettes, which has the crowd roaring with approval.

Like the last gig I went to, she says she feels weird doing a fake encore, so just remains on stage for the final tracks with the band and then grabs her acoustic guitar and takes a seat close to the front of the stage, for a completely acoustic version of Sinful Wishing Well. It's an absolutely sublime moment and showcases her talent as a singer, guitarist and a songwriter, as well as a masterful storyteller.

It was a wonderful night and an utterly delightful comeback. I'm so glad she's back.