The site of tonight’s venue has a mixed and chequered history with this Grade II listed building originally starting life in 1887 as the Methodist Church known as St Katherine’s Church, dubbed Lincoln’s second cathedral. This place of worship was sadly declared redundant just five years short of its centenary after which it was used as a DIY warehouse before standing vacant for many years, a sad reflection of the times. However, fast forward to 2020, and under new ownership the venue has become the new base for Acoustic Nations Live CIC, a not-for-profit organisation owned by Colin Webb which produces music, films and videos, as well as promoting live events under its new name of Southside.
Promoter Alan Ritson has been involved in the local music scene for the best part of fifteen years, being one of the original presenters on LC.R. FM 103.6 radio station, he still continues to present his specialist folk show every Tuesday Evening. In addition to this Ritson is well known to the local fraternity for his tireless work in bringing some of the biggest names of the genre to the city’s historic venue The Drill Hall. Since the pandemic Ritson has joined forces with the team at Southside to make the venue the city’s premier site for folk music with a list of top name acts already booked right through to the end of next year. Tonight is the last gig for this current year and Ritson recalls seeing tonight’s main attraction at both Celtic Connections, and the Gate To Southwell Festival and immediately made it his mission to bring them to Lincoln.
Blue Rose Code is the alter-ego for Edinburgh born and raised Ross Wilson. After a difficult upbringing, being brought up mostly by his grandmother, Wilson eventually moved to London, where the band were formed some fifteen years ago. Having recorded their debut album “North Ten” back in 2013, earlier this year saw the release of their sixth album, the highly acclaimed “Bright Circumstances”, and tonight, as part of a short tour, Wilson performed two sets accompanied by guitarist extraordinaire Conor Smith.
The music of Blue Rose Code draws its influences from an eclectic mix that includes folk and country along with a healthy splash of jazz thrown in, and even with this pared-back arrangement of two guitars and one voice the intensity and depth of each song still remains, but now free to reveal a greater level of intimacy. Much of the warmth comes from the soulful voice of Wilson that evokes memories of early Van Morrison and the late great John Martyn. The duo open the evening’s proceeding with ‘Love A Little’, from the 2020 album “With Healings Of The Deepest Kind”, before delivering two tracks from the newest release, firstly with ‘Jericho’, and then the poignantly beautiful ‘Sadie‘. A song dedicated to Wilson’s mother that has rightfully been nominated for song of the year at the up and coming Americana Music Association UK Awards Ceremony that takes place in London between the 20th-25th January.
The first of two covers to appear throughout the evening’s two sets comes from the somewhat surprising source of Country Pop star Garth Brooks, with an excellent rendition of ‘Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)”, before ‘Red Kites’, has the local congregation in raptures. Wilson’s between-song rapport is amiable and engaging, often offering up snippets of intriguing information, such as having recently been contacted by a producer from the BBC, inviting him to a discussion on spirituality, after having heard the song ‘Starlit’, which is the next track in the evening’s set list and which sees some delightful slide guitar from Smith. This is seamlessly followed by a rendition of John Newton’s Christian Hymn ‘Amazing Grace’, which in tonight’s setting seemed particularly appropriate. Next came the first of the two new songs of the night entitled ‘Say It Ain’t So’ that immediately felt like it belonged, before the first half concluded with ‘The Wild Atlantic Way’, complete with audience participation, who despite the hall not being totally sold-out, still managed to create an accompaniment that reverberated around these hallowed walls and high ceilings, its warmth piercing the coolness of the air that had left all but the hardy and the foolish, with their winter attire still securely fastened.
The second half of the night’s proceedings saw the first song to appear from the highly acclaimed album “The Water Of Leith”,that first saw the light of day in 2017 with the vibrant ‘Ebb & Flow’. From here on it was back to the most recent album with two songs, starting with the powerfully emotive ‘Thirteen Years’, Wilson’s unapologetic narrative delivered with all the sagacious passion of one who truly understands. The gentle ‘Peace In Your Heart’ offers both release and relief, before Smith demonstrates his musical dexterity with some dazzling gypsy jazz guitar playing at the intro to the achingly beautiful ‘Sandaig’, Wilson’s poetry, not for the first time, creating imagery so vibrant you can almost smell the buttercups and hear the cuckoo sing as he asks “Can you hear the clarion call?”. The second of the new numbers followed, entitled ‘This Is Love’, before it was back to the new album and the joyous ‘Never Know Why’, that even in this stripped-back arrangement still craved to be danced to.
The duo brought the second set to a close with ‘Grateful’, a song that seemed a fitting ending to a show that had emanated with a mutual sense of respect and appreciation between stage and hall. Fortunately for tonight’s congregation, whose spontaneous bursts of unbridled joy that greeted each of tonight’s songs had help create an atmosphere that well outstripped their numbers, the duo, who having gladly received their ovation, retook their seats for one more number. And what a closer it proved to be, with a cover of John Martyn’s classic song ‘Solid Air‘, played with such reverence to the original that I promise, if you had closed your eyes you’d have believe the man himself had somehow slipped on to the stage, such was Wilson’s sublime vocal delivery. A fitting way to close a quite memorable performance.
