The Floating Palace - Robyn Hitchcock / Krystle Warren / KTTunstall / Eliza Carthy / John Paul Jones

Warwick Arts Centre on Sun 12th Feb 2012

From time to time 'Supergroups' rise from the ashes and last night was no exception. Robyn Hitchcock had gathered together a merry band of lads and lasses under the guise of 'The Floating Palace'. The evening incorporated some big names including uber-talented KT Tunstall, odd ball Howe Gelb, Eliza Carthy (Martin Carthy was absent due to another engagement), angelic Krystle Warren and substitute John Paul Jones.

Robyn Hitchcock

Warwick Arts Centre is an amazing venue, once you've managed to find it through the immense university campus. The audience seemed to be made up of mainly over 50's with a few youngsters thrown in for good measure, I actually felt quite young last night and that's something.

Proceedings kicked off at 8.00 and we were treated to 90 mins of off the wall entertainment. At points the set seemed quite disjointed, but this was probably due to the loss of Martin Carthy. Each member of the band had a chance to shine by singing their own material and being supported by the band. Songs that shone through last night were Warren's previously unreleased track 'Emily', Tunstall's Scarlet Tulip', Tunstall's 'Shanty of the Whale' combined with vocals from Hitchcock and Carthy and Hitchcock's 'Uncorrected Personality Traits' which all the vocalists joined in on and which was comical.

Krystle Warren

Gigs like this amaze me cause you always end up seeing artists you would never really go out and see, so after last night's gig I really wanna go and see Eliza Carthy and Krystle Warren again, they totally blew my mind. Carthy joked about her liking for Ben and Jerrys and Corn on the cob with butter and commented about her size, and Warren reminded me of Tracey Chapman. The added bonus tonight was seeing the ever so talented KT Tunstall, the one women band, is there anything she can't play!? She was worth the ticket price all on her own. Bring on the new album.

I did enjoy the show immensely and Tunstall's rendition of Michael Jackson's 'I Want you Back' just showed what the band could do, it was amazeballs, my foot never stopped tapping. Totally loved it, I was left wanting more.

Special thanks of the night to the very professional staff at the venue and Jan McQuillan the Press Officer who was so helpful and is an absolute star. (Shame other venues don't take a leaf out of her book).

KT Tunstall

article by: Trish & Michelle Owen-Williams

photos by: Michelle Owen-Williams

published: 13/02/2012 13:46



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