Birmingham Town Hall, built in 1834, and equipped with the most powerful pipe organ in the world, has hosted iconic performances by Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and, of course, Black Sabbath.
The Grade I listed building welcomed yet another outstanding performer on Friday 4th October when SAMANTHA FISH — the acclaimed guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kansas City— blew into the building to grace its honourable chronological record.
Samantha is one of the greatest real blues artists of our time…
Raw Ramp
Taking the stage in a black leather sexvest, polished black strides, and high-heeled boots, the peroxide electra-glider instantly energized the concert hall with MC5’s 1969 Kick Out The Jams — a rollikin’ blustery song that aired the valves and oiled the wheels of her band that also included the talented Jamie Douglass on drums, Rob Jonson on bass, and Mickey Finn on keyboards.
WIld Heart followed with a pounding grinding stomp, immediately captivating the Midlands audience and getting us to clap along with the insistent beats. Indeed, this was a fizzy chug and rattling saltzer.
“I wish I liked you better, but I don’t,” sung Samantha on the groove-laden, low-slung screw ‘Better Be Lonely’. This pop-infused blues number exuded a sense of rugged and powerful determination that came across as bold-as-brass moxie!
“Kill or Be Kind” captured Samantha’s juicy, rich jazz voice which, in our opinion, is reminiscent of the legendary Billie Holiday. It was a cobbly, delicious, yeast-jar of textures. Finn added superb keyboard embellishments to this song, while the bass and drums provided a reliable and energetic backdrop. A masterpiece!
“You are a very pensive audience, Birmingham…” she told us, after a gentle flutter of applause. ‘You are not freaking me out at all!’ she added with a wry smile.
“Watch It Die” showcased her signature long-drawl microphone yells in a fun explosion of tenacious combativeness (the most powerful pipes in Missouri!) The song contained a moment of calm before the incredibly exciting conclusion. Inspirational!
This was centremost and centre-stage a Samantha show, with the accompanying musicians adding the understructure and strap-work for her songs, her vocals, and her flabbergastingly dizzying guitar.
As she demonstrated, Samantha is one of the greatest “real” blues artists of our time, not only to be measured by her grass-roots performances, but also by her interpretations of the rocky “end” of the blues spectrum, and the “jazzy” beginnings. Her mastery of slide guitar and the raw emotion felt in her ballads, especially in the powerful and intricate song “Don’t Say You Love Me” was not just for presentation but came across as deeply meaningful.
Genuine talent, unique artistry, and unapologetic authenticity are the qualities Samantha embodies; she’s the ideal blues performer.
Words: © Neil Mach
Photos: © Martin Tierney
RAW RAMP 