C Duncan, Gullivers. 19th February 2025

Man walks into a gig with a headache. This would cause concern for a lot of gigs I attend, but not tonight. This may well be exactly what my banging head and tired eyes are in need of. There’s a harp onstage for goodness sake. Along with bass, the all important keyboard and some lovely paper flowers (that we later learn are hand-made by bassist Amanda, there’s also C.Duncan. That C is for Chris, but he prefers to keep things simple. This mini tour kicks off in Manchester and there’s a polite buzz oozing through a sold out Gullivers. There’s a new record out and that’s where we start with the luscious ‘It’s Only a Love Song’. I’ll admit the record hasn’t quite bitten me like earlier releases yet, but it sounds absolutely gorgeous live. ‘Bell Toll’ puts me back on more familiar footing. Whimsical pop with a folk tinge, my headache is gone and Chris’ vocal soars, Amanda and Jill backing him sound wonderful too. They make quite a trio. They’re all smiles up on stage and chatty too, asking for brunch recommendations before dropping into the gigantic swell of ‘Think About It’. The pace quickens and people start to sway. Chris really does come across as a lovely cheerful soul, even when introducing songs like ‘Sadness’. It’s an other new one and a more haunting lament but it’s still glorious. ‘Impossible’ takes us into banger territory. Only kidding, but bloody hell it’s foot tappingly good. “I’m gonna give this a bash” says Jill with harp before ‘Worry’. She needn’t have. Worries that is. The harp is doing a lot on this song, but it sounds marvellous. It’s one of the new songs that has passed me by on record, but once again, live it grabs you… tenderly. There’s audible gasps in the crowd as ‘You Don’t Come Around’ begins and brushes are deployeed on the harp. They’re pulling out all the stops. ‘Lullaby’ with just the piano and Jill and Amanda harmonising works as a perfect intermission. Before we get a stripped back ‘Four’ with just the harp and Chris’ acoustic. It’s all a wonderful tease before the full electronic wallop of ‘Heaven’ fills the room. All smiles again onstage as Amanda dances around with her bass and the 80s synth helps us all ascend. ‘Say’ keeps the warm synth tempo up. These are the songs that first hooked me and it’s a pleasure to hear them live again, it really has been a while since I saw them last in Night & Day, I do hope the wait isn’t so long next time. As we get toward the end of set, there’s one final twist. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a saw played with a bow live before, but that’s what we get on ‘The Wedding Song’ and ‘I’ll Be Gone By Winter’ as they close. It sounds like a theremin but more delicate and organic, as it would I suppose. It’s the perfect sound to send us back out into the night, where my headache has been banished and my soul soothed.