Elles Bailey

Gateshead; Sage 2 - 11/12/21

You have to admire the patience some people have. Here’s Elles, making good on a promise to play Sage; Gateshead after a wait of some 630+ days, (originally slated for March 18th 2020) and Boy! did she ever make good on that promise. True, we’re on the last stretch to Christmas, and this was the last date of the tour, but Elles showed no sign of road-weariness or ragged voice; she took to the stage and owned it, right from the off.

Flanked by the ever dependable Joe Wilkins on [slide] guitar and the renowned Johnny Henderson on Hammond as well as the reliable backline of Gary Kroll on drums and Matthew Waer on bass, Elles played a trump card for the evening and invited friend and tour support Demi Marrinner to add some top-end (and top class) backing vocals to her usual smoky delivery.

A lively set proved that in the intervening 600+ days, Elles has been busy, having a baby, making a radio show, writing songs, releasing singles and has a new album in the can for February release. Several new songs from this were included in the set, and verdict is, this album will be killer - Elles has found the perfect groove for her voice. Mid set, things slowed down when the band went on break, leaving Elles and Joe to do a couple of acoustic numbers, a John Prine tribute and Walk Away from the Sunshine City EP, that hardly left a dry eye or throat without a lump.

Once the band came back on, they were firing on all cylinders, Medicine Man and Sunshine City shaking the dust from the little used Sage p.a. Each band member got to shine in the final encore number, and what a revelation Demi was, last time I heard wailing like that was when Sam Brown backed Pink Floyd for Great Gig In The Sky…. Ha, it was a great gig in the Sage…. Lets hope it’s not another 600 days before Elle’s return to the venue.