Review: Georgie Rose – Glee Club – 15 April 2014

Perhaps better known as a comedy club, Glee has quite the reputation for live music too although if there was an open top bus tour of the Nottingham music scene’s favourite places, the guide would not be pointing it out. That might be about to change after tonight’s booking though, as the great and the good of the music business (Nottingham division) gathered to witness a show we’ll be telling the grandchildren about. Showcasing her new band and new music, the night belonged to Georgie Rose. It may only be April, but this is a contender for the gig of the year.

Kicking off the festivities was another regular of the live circuit, RYAN THOMAS set the tone for a great night of home-grown noise, joined on some numbers by another star in the making; ANWYN WILLIAMS.

It has often been pointed out that one of the problems with Nottingham gigs is that they are only attended by the same motley collection of musicians, reviewers, and radio presenters. Tonight was different however, as the club was full of ‘ordinary people’ mixed among the motley collection, proving without a doubt that we were here to witness something very special.

Confidently walking onto the stage to a well deserved ovation, there was no sign of nerves. This might have been a big deal to the audience, but to GEORGIE ROSE this was another day at the office. Having seen Georgie performing more times than I can remember, this was the most comfortable I had ever seen her. This wasn’t just a gig, this was a transformation.

Without checking as I write, I think she has only been performing for less than two years, and already she’s a hardworking veteran of festivals, out-of-town gigs, and radio sessions on both sides of the Atlantic. Tonight was one of those nights that you will lie and say you were there if you weren’t.

Songs that we’ve heard a great deal of times before were given an extra kick in the ears thanks to the new band, ‘Fool in the Summer’ sitting well with my personal favourite ‘Pretender’. The Georgie Rose Band are a good old fashioned arse kicking rock and roll band, and dare I say just what has been missing from Georgie’s sound? Not to disparage Georgie’s impressive back catalogue of course, but as I said before, this transition from shy soloist to rock goddess has been a long time coming.

Those who were there should savour seeing Georgie at club level, because she will break through and end up doing arenas before too long.

Review by Steve Oliver

Photographs by Daniel Whiston