LIVE(STREAM) REVIEW: Jo Quail – The Black Heart, London
They say all you need for theatre is a box and a light, and JO QUAIL has followed that by the book – nearly – as she takes to the stage at the Black Heart in the heart of London’s Camden district tonight. A selection of fairy lights adorn the front of the stage whilst tube lighting snakes around the cellist and simple, plain floods shine from above. Jo herself, resplendent in black, takes to the stage for a celebration of her 2015 release Five Incantations, an album she is playing in full this evening.
Five Incantations explores the five main elemental energies of the planet – Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Spirit – and each song addresses a specific one. Not one for messing around with the order, Jo begins with the Earth number, entitled White Salt Stag and immediately brings all those watching under her spell. Just watching this incredible individual loop cello notes and hard thumps from her hands, layering them up and playing movements over the top never fails to take the collective breath away from everyone in attendance; indeed, when watching her in the flesh, rooms are left utterly silent and transfixed on her as she weaves her magic.
Each song, much like the elements, has its own identity in line with that particular subject matter. Whilst White Salt Stag is more driven and hard-hitting, The Breathing Hand – representing Air – remains graceful and serene, floating through the venue with ease. Salamander, the composition for Fire, ramps the tempo up once more with stronger moments and a renewed passion with Between Two Waves, in contrast, taking a quieter, measured approach that is largely calming until the tension begins building in ever-increasing waves and Jo seamlessly moves into Gold, the final part of the album and embodying spirit. Before you know it, the piece is there in full, twisting and turning as if there are nymphs dancing in perfect synchronicity. The song climaxes and fades away wonderfully to little more than a heartbeat and single note, before the lights gradually go black.
When the stage comes back into view, Jo is visibly emotional, unsuccessfully fighting back tears as she reconnects with the world around her and thanks everyone for making it possible. Throughout the spectacle her down-to-earth persona has been instantly relatable, something that has ensured her concerts, even when in front of thousands of leather-wearing, tattooed men and women, are so silent that you could literally hear a pyramid stud hit the floor from a beaten up biker jacket. Sure, this isn’t how she would have wanted to make her return to the live circuit, but it’s clear she’s been missing this just as much as the rest of us. The chat on the side of the screen explodes with adoration for her, reaffirming her standing as one of alternative music’s most innovative and captivating figures.
Rating: 9/10
Check out a selection of stunning shots from the streamed show at The Black Heart, London from the wonderfully talented Jen van der Linde here:
