Live Review: Belinda O'Hooley Band at the Salutation, Doncaster

Belinda O'Hooley is to Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, what Garth Hudson is to The Band, the musical maestro, teacher, guru and all round musical backbone of the band. But more than this, she is the refreshing wit and humour of the band and her personality finds no difficulty in rubbing off on you.



Tonight Belinda showed the audience at The Sal two more distinct sides to her musical prowess, as the front person of her own band, consisting of bass, drums and backing vocals (Josh, Isaac and Heidi respectively), and also as a fine solo performer of some of the most exquisite songs you're likely to hear. Performing several songs from her album MUSIC IS MY SILENCE, Belinda divided her performance into two sets, the first one solo, accompanying herself on piano, and the second set with the full band. Personally, and this is no reflection on the standard of playing from the three other band members, I was more entranced with the solo set, not least because I'm a complete sucker for the stripped down song. One piano, one voice works its magic like nothing else in my book.

Moon Over Water is a dead cert starter to get the audience well and truly on your side; an accomplished song with a melody that Sarah McLachlan would be proud of. As a solo performer, Belinda has a command over her audience that solicits respect. She talks of almost giving up on song writing after hearing Joni Mitchell, and granted there is only one Joni, but there's definitely more than enough room for a Belinda as well. Sandwiched between delicate songs Belinda can also handle whimsy remarkably well. Her take on Abba's Money Money Money, with a Bonnie Tyler coda, brought out whatever campness is lurking inside me and I fully expected Dancing Queen next. Alas, it wasn't to be. Apparently, the song was inspired by Richard Thompson, who is now doing Abba songs as well as the greatest hits of Brittney Spears. Could this be a parallel universe we have accidentally stumbled upon?

High on the agenda is Belinda's sexuality, there's no doubting that. It takes no small measure of guts to stand before an environment traditionally made up of bearded beer swilling male heterosexuals and claim you are a lesbian, but unapologetic, and quite rightly so, her self 'outing' at presumably each appearance is hardly enlightening news. Isn't it sad then, that as in many cases of gay and lesbian confessionals, she is warmly accepted by her peers and her audience, but totally misunderstood by her own family? With Her, a song Belinda claims to be about her mother, could quite easily be seen as a song of lesbian love, and probably would be if not for the amusing preamble. Rubbing salt into open wounds, one member of her family suggests she change the lyric to With HIM! Since Belinda was so candid and forthcoming in some of her between song dialogue, I will be candid and forthcoming in my review and state that if my heterosexuality was questioned by my family, or anyone else for that matter, I would have them up against a wall in an arm lock in a whisper. Life sucks, but it shouldn't.

Belinda handles this nonsensical bigotry in a much more pleasant and almost endearing way. 'Drown me in the judging tide, til I'm cold and stiff' is a painfully polite way of seeing off her critics. Her wit is, and I bet you a tenner that she's sick of this comparison, reminiscent of Jo Brands' dry sense of humour. Seemingly at ease with her audience, she brushes aside sentimentality and tells it as it is. I love With Her as a love song and as poetry alike, and I hasten to add, if it were indeed a lesbian anthem, I would be there to hold up my ciggy lighter with the rest.

Having shown favouritism for the stripped down set, I must stress that the bands' arrangements in the second set were delightfully complex, verging on progressive rock as Belinda quite rightly pointed out. Chinese Whispers probably wouldn't be lost in a King Crimson set and neither too would All That Remains. Sometimes complex rhythms and arrangements can cave into chaotic mess but the band I saw tonight kept it very much on an even keel and it was obvious that good old fashioned hard work had been applied in preparation for this gig.

Some of the songs jumped right out at you and laid their cards square on the table, and some were more ambiguous. I always thought The Golden Age Of Friendship was about steamy sex with all the puffing and panting but now I'm relieved to know it's just about tennis! Joking aside, I can only imagine the amount of pleasure both Belinda and Heidi get out of performing this song. I could certainly use one of those in my set.

Izuko, No More's subject matter pulls at the heart strings sure enough, but I was too busy pondering on why I could still hear the Miles Davis-esque muted trumpet solo, as featured on the album version, when there wasn't a sign of any brass on stage. I guess that's the importance of a good imagination, when something's missing, you simply put it there yourself.

Belinda (and band) did a grand job tonight, providing me with plenty to go on with until the next time, which will be in her usual position, seated at the piano with the wonderful Winterset in York in a couple of weeks time.