Little Miss Higgins

Little Miss Higgins

The Cluny, Newcastle

30 March 2011

All the way from Canada, Little Miss Higgins was accompanied by Foy Taylor on guitar for a fine set of country and blues numbers as support for The Wiyos.

Living in a small town (population 400) led to the writing of the first song of the evening - 'In the Middle of Nowhere'. There was a slight false start, with a pause to say that ‘...all the moisture up here’ had been having an adverse effect not only the tuning of the guitar, but also her hair.

Little Miss Higgins was in good voice and certainly played with feeling. Guitar solos were often conducted at the very edge of the stage, swaying to the music and punctuating key moments of songs with kicks, especially during 'Liar, Liar'.

Three of four songs into the set, a little problem arose. A small group of Canadians, presumably in the UK to follow their bands, started to get a little bit too vocal in their support. A song about 'Velvet Barley Bed' led to a few shouts about how cheap the local beer was in comparison to Canadian prices. Clearly, the hecklers were ‘unwell’, as we say in polite company. At this early stage in the evening they confined their well-projected voices to the gaps in between the songs, but this would progress as the night wore on.

Meanwhile, we were treated to a fine selection of songs from up-tempo belters to slower, bluesy numbers. 'The Dirty Ol’ Tractor Song' continued the theme of writing songs about what she sees back in her home town.

Seth of the Wiyos came up on the stage to join in with the last number, ‘Bargain Shop Panties’. Dedicated to the Canadians, the song had the unfortunate effect of winding up the ‘unwell’ further. Nevertheless, it was a good sing-along, with the audience being encouraged to call out the title line at regular intervals.

Despite the distractions, it was a very entertaining, energetic set. At 50 minutes, it turned the evening into more of a double bill than one main act with support.

For news, tour dates etc please visit the official website of Little Miss Higgins.

For my review of The Wiyos, stay tuned...it will be here tomorrow.