PATSY MATHESON & BECKY MILLS

5th April 2013

Former Waking the Witch singer-songwriters Patsy Matheson and Becky Mills. Maintaining the essence of that much missed all-female vocal harmony quartet, Patsy and Becky mixed new material with older songs, together with the odd 1980s cover thrown in. Starting with a couple of staples from the Waking the Witch repertoire, Patsy's There For Me, which first appeared as the opening song on the band's debut album and for most remains the defining song for these voices, immediately followed by Becky's Jenny Thornton and the Boys From the Abattoir, a song that provided the band's final album its memorable name.

Relaxed and in good humour, the duo gave a faultless performance tonight, with two sets packed with new songs, some from Patsy's newly released STORIES OF ANGELS AND GUITARS such as Under Your Wing, With both Patsy and Becky seated on their cajons, which is a Peruvian percussion box and not a euphemism I hasten to add, the duo added some spice to their two guitars with the occasional mandolin, Jew's harp and egg shaker, with an attempt at a well-timed rain sound effect at the end of Water Over the Weir, which just resulted in hysterics from the duo. 'It's just too comedy isn't it? responded Becky. The duo's surprisingly enchanting version of Gary Numan's Cars is always a much welcomed inclusion in the duo's set, providing one of those moments where a song we often take for granted actually has some appealing substance once stripped away from the heavily orchestrated electronics. Returning to even earlier songs such as Patsy's version of Dylan's One More Cup of Coffee, which was especially recorded for the charity album YOUNGER THAN THAT NOW, and a very early Donovan song Goldwatch Blues, written by Mick Softley.

Concluding with Patsy's jazz-tinged love song If You Ask Me, the duo returned for an encore of Hazel O'Connor's Will You, another hit from the 1980s, leaving a very satisfied audience at the Wombwell and to continue their tour. Allan Wilkinson - Northern Sky