There’s a danger of becoming comfortable with your local music scene: you get to know the venues, places to eat nearby, and which rules can be broken. I’d urge you to take some risks: explore an unfamiliar music scene, go to see a band whose music you haven’t heard before, and try a different genre. Taking my own advice, I found myself making last minute plans to see a roots bluegrass group in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and having far, far more fun than I expected. Indeed for sheer pleasure this exceeded far more illustrious bands I’ve heard in Manchester.
I’m lucky to live within reach of the UK’s second city for live music, after London, and in my arrogance hadn’t imagined somewhere as far flung as Winnipeg could have such a vibrant musical scene. On this Saturday evening, there was a choice of five gigs listed on Songkick, but even though I hadn’t heard them, a Google search showed that Oh My Darling were huge locally (and have just returned from a 60 concert European tour). I took a chance buying a ticket despite not having heard a note of this group.
This was a real event: it seems most of the town, from all age groups, had sold out the West End Arts Centre and much to the excitement of the audience the four piece were joined by a drummer and extra guitarist for this special release show for their second album. A special beer had been brewed for the occasion, and I the sense of anticipation reminded me of waiting to see Adele (whom remarkably the music enthusiast sat next to me on the front row hadn’t heard of, despite attending six shows a week in Winnipeg).
It’s fascinating to compare live music scenes: the atmosphere here was staggeringly relaxed and friendly, with no security guards, and little risk of trouble given that everyone there seems to have known each other for years. Unusually, there was no support act, but two sets by Oh My Darling, separated by an interval. A local musical figure provided an introduction, and the band themselves chattered to the audience between each song. One of the more moving moments was when the lead singer explained that a song they were about to play had come into her head the day after her grandmother passed away, and she regarded it as a gift from her.
Oh My Darling’s sets consisted largely of original songs, written in an old time style: their latest album is titled ‘Sweet Nostalgia’, and they play tribute to past North American music, whilst making it their own. They all sung (very beautifully and characterfully), and played electric bass, fiddle, acoustic guitar and banjo skillfully. They are true musicians, not manufactured celebrities, and utterly inside their folk style, steeped in it to the very core of their existence. All four were beaming with joy throughout the performance, danced, clapped, and go the audience moving. A special mention has to go to the lead vocalist Venessa Kuzina for her voice, charisma and enthusiasm. I went away with a deep sense of satisfaction and joy.
I’ve written before about my belief of music’s deep relationship to place, and Oh My Darling exemplify this. I’ve also written about love of Canada music, and my connection with it. As I travel on a train through the Wilderness of Manitoba I’ve been listening to the eponymous band, and the wide open spaces, hour after hour, relate closely to the relaxation and expansiveness in the music. The magic of this gig lay in the musicianship of the four young ladies, the sense of both continuity and reinvention in the music, and above all the intense pleasure and fun all those present experienced. Oh My Darling is touring Europe in 2012, and I will be seeking them out again.
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