Drag your filthy mind out of the gutter... Thankyou!! Right I didn't have any pre planned gigs to see this late in the year but I have been venturing down to the local Folk Club for the past month which alternates between a guest artist one week and then a singers night for the local members the next. When I checked for the last guest slot of the year nobody had been booked so I mosied on down to the club expecting it to be a singers night. As it turned out Winston official heartbeat and booking personage of Sandbach Folk Club had invited Hayley Strangelove along to do a set. Hayley also performs as part of a duo called Baxter and Paul the other half of said duo was waiting in the wings ready to do a couple of songs alongside Hayley as well.
Once Winston had duly rotored the ever ready floor singers on to the stage [which included yours truly] Hayley took to the stage. After a bit of playful banter and a bit of tuning she opened with a yuletide offering from The Pretenders -2000 miles I was immediately on the edge of my seat not only was it a great song to start with but Hayley's vocals were like a wall of sound giving you a good slap round the chops just in case you weren't paying attention. She filled the room with powerfully delivered melodies which had people moving in their seats, well I know I was nodding and tapping my foot singing along. 3 songs in we were interrupted by the break which was followed by a selection of floor singers before Hayley returned to the stage. During the second half Paul stepped up onto stage with Hayley and they did a great Foo Fighters cover followed by Trouble from Ray Lamontagne (Sorry I get a bit vague about what was played when.. what? I don't take notes you know ;]) Paul delivered these wonderfully and especially hit the spot with me as these are two artists I really love to listen to. So how could you top all this musical wonderment......
Well Hayley introduced the last song as one of the best songs(or even THE best song ever, can't quite remember now, anyway I digress again) and then hit us with Fairytale Of New York. Not only were the vocals out of this world she was doing the vocal equivalent of that Music Hall act where the person dresses half man half woman and keeps switching sides doing female then male. She sang the Kirsty McColl parts in her usual tones but the Shane MacGowan bits she sang low and boy did it work she blew the lid of it and finished my musical gigging year off in the best way possible and The Bells Were Ringing Out for Christmas Day....... ;]]]]]
For everything Hayley Strangelove go to
facebook.com/hayleystrangelove
And for Hayley and Paul as Baxter head to
facebook.com/baxterduo
