Kerry Zaccarini
Kerry Zaccarini got the night underway with a version of Jake Bugg’s Country Song. Most of Kerry’s live sets are peppered with Oasis songs, and tonight was no exception, with her take on The Importance of Being Idle and Half the World Away. The Libertines and Pete Doherty are another of her other main musical inspirations, and she offered up understated covers of Libertines staples What Katy Did and Can’t Stand Me Now as well as a trip Down In Albion from Babyshambles. It was good to hear one of her original songs too, Reason, which had a bittersweet quality to it, totally suited to her high ‘songbird’ style vocals.
Mike May
Mike May was up next with a diverse mixture of songs in his set-list. His first three choices included One Man Band, made famous by Leo Sayer, Green Day’s Give Me Novocaine and a version of Motorhead’s signature song, Ace of Spades. After a couple of more reflective self-penned numbers, he proceeded with the Stones classic (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and Queen’s I Want To Break Free, the latter complete with a kazoo solo, before wrapping things up with a ukulele version of the evergreen ballad Dream a Little Dream of Me.
Collie Stewart
Headliner Collie Stewart is a well-known figure on the local live music circuit, and he always turns in a quality performance. Kicking off with Terence Trent D’Arby’s Sign Your Name, his strong, emotive vocals and sure-fire guitar accompaniment add that little bit extra to all of his song choices.
His take on Ray LaMontagne’s New York City’s Killing Me was a heartfelt favourite, while his version of America by Simon & Garfunkel with it’s opening line, ‘Let us be lovers, we’ll marry our fortunes together’, was another highlight. After that particular journey over the New Jersey Turnpike, Collie took us right back there with one of Bruce Sprinsteen’s most incisive songs in Bobby Jean.
A fitting tribute to David Bowie came in the form of Ashes To Ashes and was added to with a taste of Chubby Little Loser, from the Ricky Gervais Extras TV series. Playing just one of his own well-crafted songs, the lovelorn and affecting Part Of You, he closed his set with a resplendent version of the Prince classic Purple Rain.
David Duffin
* ACOUSTIC MELTDOWN is an ongoing series of concerts held on a monthly basis at Bar Five in Dalkeith Street, Barrow-in-Furness since April 2012. These are planned showcase events with invited guests, with the aim of highlighting the very best in local talent.
Frozen Notes 