Kristen Hersh, St. Philips Church. 22nd March 2019

It’s been a good while since I listened to a Kristen Hersh record, but I was excited about tonight, not least because St Philips Church in Salford is a lovely space for live music (I’ve no idea what they get up to during the day here). I was obsessed with the Hersh fronted Throwing Muses in the early 90s and equally so with Kristen’s solo stuff, but I really didn’t know what to expect from tonight’s set, the brooding US indie college rock of the Muses or Kirsten’s more ethereal acoustic melancholy. A largely older quite conservative looking crowd suggested perhaps more toward the latter and I felt a little self conscious in my technicolour patchwork jumper... but only for a second. My attire was quickly justified though, as there was nothing timid about the full on power trio that appeared on stage bathed in hellish red, shredding guitars with a maelstrom that made my head swirl. The main power source though is Kirsten’s voice, I’d almost forgotten what a punch she can pack. She looks sweet and innocent, but with a snarl she can unleash vocals that are sublimely devastating. Wrap that around songs that bridge from twangs of desolate country to poppy 90s power-chord grunge and tonight delivered everything I was excited about. I only knew about half the set and that’s usually a recipe for a possible disaster, but the songs I didn’t know I think I enjoyed even more than the ones I did, not knowing where they were headed was truly liberating as they twisted through a deepening sludge of head pulverising rhythm, blistering lyrics and effortless cool. Im gonna have to admit though, the jumper got a bit warm.