Gig Review: SOAK at Music City

Given her ever rising profile both home and abroad, it seemed not a mere probability but a certainty that the Artist Known To Us As SOAK, or Bridie Monds-Watson, would grace us with her now legendary – or should I say Legen Derry? – presence once again.

The Glassworks' high ceilings and warmly airy acoustics were ideal for her Other Voices appearance three years ago, and they are no less ideal for this longer, if more stripped down, set.

Getting SOAKed, for want of a better word, means getting covered in and entranced by the dreamy, drifty melodies and pointed, heartfelt lyrics that have sprung from the mind and voice of the prodigious and humble Monds-Watson. She may well be a musical Matilda, had Roald Dahl's famous creation picked up a guitar.

How will support act Saint Sister compare? Very well, actually. The harp, keyboard and voices of Gemma Doherty and Morgan Macintyre overlap in such a way to create a gently refreshing kind of Celtic influenced folk pop.

By stroking the keys and strings instead of strumming and pounding them, and recording several layers of sound, Doherty and Macintyre treat us to a combination of harmony and synth that can't be anything but pleasant and relaxing.

Further pleasures can be drawn from their quirky rhyming lyrics, choral flourishes and appealing personalities. In other words, the duo are the perfect prelude to SOAK, and the huge applause they receive reflects this. Theirs is a set where six songs are too few. They're clearly going places.

Returning to the main act, you'll note I said "more stripped down" earlier. Consider for a moment that Monds-Watson has sung and played guitar in costume, with a rather large backing band or with the Ulster Orchestra. This set features none of these things - just a woman and her guitars, with two accompanists on keyboard and drums. Also, while there will be the amusing interludes and anecdotes we have come to expect from SOAK, this is generally a show where she lets her music do the talking.

No frills, all understated thrills, simply a "her and us" kind of gig. It's less about establishing a bond and more about re-establishing a band, performance taking precedence over appearance, with a nice "glad to be home" nod. And it works pretty well.

Wisely, Monds-Watson revs up the engine of the set with a couple of low key numbers before the extraordinarily catchy drum beat of Blud kicks the night into gear and the light changes. It's the triumphant roar from BM-W's own engine (see what I did there?) that the event needs, and her volume, tempo and appreciation adjust to carry us through the expected wave of singable tunes that will and do follow.

The hypnotic chorus, depressing yet therapeutic lyrics and experimental yet straightforward verses of B A Nobody are the very definition of a slow-burner, a grower, who SOAK is as a performer, personality and songwriter. It has a poignancy that the more upbeat, rockier numbers can't quite match: there, the instruments are arguably too prominent, and the vocals are sometimes drowned out.

Fortunately the power and presence on stage is not diminished in what is very much a mood gig, satisfying tones and tunes to be found almost everywhere you look and hear. This well-balanced set of breezy balladry and power play – and yes, signature tune Sea Creatures gets a very satisfying airing – warms everyone's cockles as only the homely yet headstrong vibe of the former City of Culture can.

Simon Fallaha

SOAK played at Derry-Londonderry's Glassworks as part of Music City on Friday 08 July.

Picture courtesy of Celtronic, taken by Robert Emmett Photography.