Odi Live

Artists: Odi + Support
Venue: Bournemouth Folk Club
Town: Bournemouth
Date: 15th September
Website: http://www.odimusic.co.uk/

For a number of reasons that I won't go into, I've not got to as many local gigs as I'd like to this year, but the thought of catching Odi at one of my favourite venues was way too tempting an experience to miss. The more traffic I caught on my drive back home from Bristol, the more I began to think that my gig attendance this year had been cursed

Fortunately the traffic cleared and I managed to get to Bournemouth Folk Club at Centre Stage with time to spare and an opportunity to catch up with Odi and guitarist Dave Redfearn for a bit of a catch up before the music started. It transpired that Dave had managed to break his g-string and a frantic search of his car had failed to procure a replacement and so began the second theme of the evening, the story of Fran's guitar.

Fran Miller was playing one of three floor spots before Odi were to take to the stage for the second half of the evening, as it turned out one of the other floor spots had gone down sick. By luck there was another singer songwriter in the audience who was about to make his, unexpected, Bournemouth Folk Club debut, if only he had a guitar, step forward Fran.

Ant Henson took to the stage with about ten minutes notice and a hurriedly arranged soundcheck, fortunately Andy Stone, the club soundman really knows his trade and Any was very much in the zone from the off. If you hadn't know the story, you wouldn't have realised from Ant's assured performance how surprising it was, for both him and the audience, especially as he was playing with an unfamiliar instrument.

Ant has quite an aggressive style, he very much puts himself into the performance striking a hard balance between the lyrical content of the song and the power of the delivery. There's a real energy about his playing and he's a man that obviously knows his craft. It was a great opening to the evening and Ant Henson has moved into the list of artists I'd like to see again.

Fran Miller started her set off behind the grand piano that sits to the right hand side of the stage, making excellent use of the instrument, the combination of voice and aural textures delivering the heartfelt aspects of the songs. Her opening number, dedicated to her niece, capturing a real sense of emotion, an emotion that reappeared later in the opening part of the set, when she indulged audience and self with an instrumental piano tune.

Fran then moved onto stage central for the second part of her short set, delivered on guitar, indeed the very same guitar that had made its debut a few short minutes ago. The second half of the set had a bit more of a free of a free feel to it, including her trademark Dylan cover, the evening was getting better and better.

Next up was Peter Thompson, well more the Peter Thompson Trio, during the course of the set they mentioned that it was something they were in the process of putting together, it certainly felt like a work in progress rather than the complete article. The banter between the musicians should a familiarity with each other and there were indications of more to come. Was it a coincidence that this was the only act not to have used Fran's guitar?

Following the interval, it was time for the evening's headliners, Odi. Dave hadn't managed to find the ubiquitous g-string and like so many before him was using a now familiar guitar, but that would have to wait until after he'd finished with the harmonica.

I've followed Odi pretty much from their first EP, but this was my first time watching them live and it wasn't long before I realised how much I would regret previous lost opportunities. Odi feel very much like a duo, although initially the name referred simply to the singer, and they really spark off each other, sharing the banter and introducing the songs.

There is a natural flow to their performance, you get the feeling that they are performing for you as well as the room. When you go to a Folk Club, you know that there's a good chance you are going to be drawn into the performance, normally joining in with a chorus. Whilst Odi do that, they also encourage participation in another way, passing out shaky eggs for the audience to use in one number.

There were a couple of times during the set where I found myself wondering why I didn't hear their songs on the radio more often if at all, they've got songs that range from the radio friendly, into the deeper, darker material. One of the songs, Dave dedicated to Leeds Football Club, or indeed any football club cursed by hope an expectation. A heckle of 'Dirty, dirty Leeds' was met with an indication that this wasn't the first time that three word response had come up :.

Claire(Odi) has one of those voices that lingers both in the air and mind, it has an almost ethereal edge to it as it floats around inside your head, infusing the song directly into the cerebral cortex, or at least that's what it feels like. Consequently it was almost a surprise when they were announcing that the next song would be their last and doing the obligatory thank yous.

It may have been a while since I'd got to a gig, but what a great way to bounce back.

Neil King

Photos:Neil King