with Philippe Nash
Reviewed by Phil Taylor (see his Music Observer blog here)
Thea Gilmore hasn’t visited Leicester for a very long time, and, when she returned last week to perform at the Y Theatre, the welcome for her was typically warm.
The English singer-songwriter has been making music for most of her life, and has released more than 20 full-length albums since her debut in 1998 (Burning Dorothy) – that’s plenty of time to build a loyal fanbase. And yet plenty of people are discovering her music for the first time here in 2025.
On this tour she’s being supported by Philippe Nash, a solo artist who spares no emotions in his music. The mental energy he pours into his performances must exhaust him, and yet he remains gracious and warm, chatting to the audience between songs after his set.
Over the course of 30 minutes, Philippe shared his brave, intense, vulnerable songs, performing using guitars and a loop pedal. In his first, he began by looping a soft chord before adding unearthly harmonics by applying a bow to the strings. “Get better, feel better… I have no form.” The song rises to an intense, screaming catharsis before fading again.
Philippe sometimes seems staggered by his own emotions, taking some moments to recover himself. The Leicester audience showed great openness, giving back energy to help Philippe push on. He also mentioned to me afterwards how this venue, an old building soaked in history, seemed also to provide support for his art.
In Cruel, after raising political themes, there was a roaring, soaring chorus, wide and open, with major chords but nevertheless deep and guttural. Then, a drop to almost imperceptible levels, with hushed guitar strums. This was a powerful start to the night – something quite different for much of the audience, but an interesting and valuable contribution to the overall experience.
Thea arrived alone on stage (this is a solo tour) to start up her own looper. She built the opening song by starting with an abstract vocal, gradually adding other elements, and forming a balanced whole that somehow sounded as polished and full as any recorded version.
It must be a difficult job to choose a setlist when you have such a lot to draw from – your audiences will want and expect different things. How do you keep them happy? Thea certainly did her best tonight. Her set explored a wide range of her music, veering from newer to older and back again.
Thea included some covers, fittingly given her latest release is a covers album, but didn’t overdo them. Her version of Echo & The Bunnymen’s The Killing Moon was exquisite: capturing the essence of that song, revealing its intense melody; and Sweet Child O’ Mine (yes, the Guns N’ Roses rock ballad) was prefaced by her description “the most perfect folk song ever written”. I think we were persuaded by the end of her rendition, such was its delicate, thoughtful beauty.
Between those covers, her mashup of This Girls Is Taking Bets with Nice Normal Woman was wonderful – two songs written more than 20 years apart yet joined by the personality and spirit of Thea herself. The ballad Corner Eyes was typically lovely, too.
Elsewhere, we heard a new song Harm’s Way, previously only shared with her Patreon supporters; and She Speaks In Colours, which was written for the 2023 edition of BBC Radio 2’s 21st Century Folk Project and inspired by the tragic, brave experience of Delyth Raffell (who lost her teenage daughter Ellen to anaphylaxis).
We were given a choice of two – equally sad – songs near the end of the show; the audience picked The Lower Road. Inspired by 9-11, this one is an example of the brilliant, modern folk-poetry Thea is capable of producing. She writes with clarity and brevity, picking words carefully:
Well I know that drill
I know it all too well
It starts like a lonely voice
And shifts to a tolling bell
Her set ended (Thea made it clear that she wouldn’t be participating in the ‘encore charade’) with a gorgeous, collegiate rendition of The Bright Service, a song which seems to have divided audiences and critics in the past. Thea told us this was both the most requested and most criticised of her songs. Whoever once said they didn’t want to be part of her “therapy session” should probably be pitied; the sense of togetherness this song brings is to be treasured. As is Thea herself – she is certainly one of the most important (and perhaps underappreciated) artists of her generation, reaching many people across age-groups and backgrounds.
I don’t think it’s exaggerating to say that Leicester has been blessed by her presence.
Watch videos of Thea’s performance at this gig:
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