Running through her thank you’s as a memorable performance in the dingy Borderline drew to its conclusion, Juliet Turner debated on whether or not to extend her gratitude to one Terry Wogan. Wogan, you see, had been championing Turner all week on his influential BBC 2 radio show but, as only he could, had been directing his listeners to the wrong venue. “He told everyone to go see me in Putney! Miles away from here. I dunno how ye made it. There are probably poor people standing outside a venue in Putney now”, Juliet said to fits of giggles from a crowd that made up for its lack of numbers with boundless enthusiasm.
Seeing Turner perform live it’s hard not to get enthusiastic. Her vocal talents are awe-inspiring, ensuring each of the 15 songs in her set is filled with an unstoppable warmth and energy.
Key to Turner’s performance is the intimacy she shares with the audience. Each song is introduced with the story of how it came about and this style, rooted in the folk tradition, ensures that the audience constantly engages with Turner. It’s a wise move given that most of the material is new to the crowd.
Opening with ‘Call Me Green’, even at this early stage she was in show stopping form. ‘One Night’ followed with Brian Grace and Sean McGee offering ample support on guitar and bass respectively. ‘Burn Your Black Suit’ and ‘Dr Fell’ were met with huge applause, understandable given that Season Of The Hurricane is yet to get a UK release. By ‘Take The Money And Run’, Turner had the crowd singing in fine voice before ending with an all too rare performance of ‘Belfast Central’. An astounding show. My heart goes out to those who were stuck in Putney.