Suzannah Espie with Ian Collard

Bosco Theatre
Thurs 29 March
season ended


The austere but welcoming atmosphere of The Bosco Theatre was given a kind of blessing by Suzannah Espie and Ian Collard when they opened with the traditional gospel song I Know I've Been Changed. A sparse and compelling hymn, the couple soon delved into more base material on the blues side of country Espie's remarkable voice is so well suited for. They played a range of songs from her album 'A Few More Days'. Mediocre Blues had many a foot tapping the wooden floor, a perfect percussive accompaniment, and Cruel To Me contained a brilliant loose, down tuned solo from Yearling Chris Parkinson.

The highlight was the positively sinful Wedding Night, a hot, bluesy tune penned by Stacey Earle, sister of Steve, and served well with solos by Parkinson and Collard on a harmonica like you haven't really heard it before. Well I hadn't - subtle and strong, his hands creating a tremolo effect. It was a great transition into The Yearlings set which was positively folk alongside Espie and Collard. Opening with new song I Believe and the wonderful Highway Dancing, these songs about the road gave some hint to the new album mentioned as being out by the end of the year. The Yearlings beautiful, if shortened, set was from another time and simply beautiful.

The local duo invited Espie to lend her vocal prowess to their gorgeous Wind Already Blown. This was before all four joined for a magnificent closing version of You Send Me, an interpretation with significant banjo and harmonica accompaniment from Parkinson and Collard respectively and the power of all four voices pulling the country out of the Sam Cooke classic.

Espie was clad as a smiling saver of souls in her loose, sheer shift frock, shot with gold and standing in cowboy boots. She announced that the two month long Bless This House tour around Australia with her mother and one year old Johnny, in convoy with The Yearlings, was coming to an end with these dates in Adelaide. The relaxed and happy mood and conversation from the stage was testament to an enjoyable string of dates by a group of this country's top songwriters and interpreters of old music.

Narelle Walker