Reviews
Artist:Kat Flint
Venue:Bournemouth Folk Club
Town:Bournemouth
Date:10/02/08
Website:http://www.myspace.com/katflint
There are an increasing number of great acts, both local and beyond, going though the doors of Centre Stage to play Bournemouth Folk Club. Some get to play support slots, some play the open mic slots and some get to headline. In the latter capacity tonight, from London, both solo and with her band, is Kat Flint.
We've featured Kat in our releases section and it was a great opportunity to head out on a cold clear Sunday and finally get to hear her live. Her song "Fearsome Crowd" is currently(Feb 08) Fatea track of the month.
It's easy to see why Kat has rapidly gained her reputation as both performer and writer. The songs she delivered, both solo and with her band, Gingergreen(Andrew Thompson and Robin Mogendorff), strike such a resonance. There's a jauntiness to Kat's singing that are uplifting and sometimes create a good juxtaposition with the actual words.
She also switches seamlessly between picking and strumming her guitar, blue-tacing the plectrum to the front when not being used. Again it allows for a wider range and feel of material.
One song imparticular, "Christopher", a sort of marching song about her brother's intent to be in the armed forces, seems to strike a real chord, particularly with what's going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Kat has a really distinctive voice, soulful with a Scottish edge to give it a twang. Live it gives her a presence that can't be ignored. It demands to be listened to, but through considered thought rather than brutal assault.
Switching between solo and band, gave her set strength in depth, the freedom to try different approaches. Apart from a coughing fit, that gave a false start to one number, this was a consummately delivered set.
Kat responded to the audience and the audience responded back. Time just flew, it was a genuine surprise when the band reached the last number. The audience was briefly stunned before joining in with rapturous applause.
The shouts for more were briefly halted by Kat trying to pour a glass of water into her guitar, the most novel way I've seen of trying to avoid the encore. :-)
As it was it didn't work, we weren't going to let her go with out at least one additional song, it was a blinder. Gingergreen were also the first band I've seen to use a pair of scissors as an instrument.
On the night, Kat had a fantastic supporting cast from many different parts of the Poole/Bournemouth conurbation and one that showed just what a vibrant scene there is going there
Kicking off the evening were Tinderbox. Monique and Dan were in duo form this evening, their album is at the mixing stage and due out later in the spring/start of summer.
Following Tinderbox, was singer songwriter Nigel Waites. Nigel was showcasing a couple of songs, including one about the recent mini-series on Sandbanks that showed off some of the most expensive real estate in the world and the seedy souls that infest it.
Andrea Soler, EP about to be released and reviewed in Fatea, was up next. Andrea must have beamed a thousand smiles as she worked her way through three numbers. Her initial nervousness overcome the moment she started singing.
After a short interval, it was time for Bob Burke, cd launch for "Shadow Of Mercury" Feb 24th who was later joined on stage by Aimee Newsome Stone who just seems to gain more confidence with every appearance, seeming more at home with a lead vocal all the time.
Wrapping up the show was Les Wilde, singer and guitarist who played a combination of songs and instrumentals and left me with the feeling I hadn't heard enough. And that brought us to Kat Flint, which is where I think we came in.