'Force of nature' blues singer Kaz Hawkins knocks Newbury for six

Kaz Hawkins at Arlington Arts. on Friday, September 2, review by Brian Harrington

Powerhouse vocals and electric blues par excellence. Belfast singer and songwriter Kaz Hawkins is a force of nature and her French band matched her perfectly.

Pray opened proceedings; a driving track with a thumping drum beat, referencing many blues icons in the lyrics, Kaz instantly captured the attention of the audience and she did not let go. She rapidly established a relationship with the crowd via her honest, witty repartee proving her credentials as a seasoned live performer. Politician's Greed had a jazz vibe, especially in the rich swirling keyboards, which she followed with an excellent, rearranged rendition of Feeling Good, the Nina Simone classic.

Until We Meet Again was the first of several songs in the show which are so new that Kaz had a pad with the lyrics on stage. It was written following the death last year of a drummer from Northern Ireland who she looked on as a father figure.

There were some spectacular guitar riffs and the second half opened with the rocking Drinking With The Devil a track Kaz penned about an ex-boyfriend. Hold On For Home was a poignant and powerful track which Kaz dedicated to Ukrainian refugees and was followed by two tracks which she was performing live for the first time, I Gotta Be Me and Moving On.

Hallelujah, Happy People was an upbeat audience participation number and contrasted wonderfully with Because You Love Me which Kaz dedicated to her daughter who helped her to overcome her addiction to cocaine.

The evening ended with the banging Better Days, which included a great drum solo, before the well deserved encore of I Just Want To Make Love To You, originally by the great Etta James.

This was the final night of Kaz's brief tour of the UK, which, sadly, will not be repeated in the foreseeable future for political reasons. Kaz now lives in France so work visas have become hugely problematic for so many touring musicians.

A memorable and superb night of blues.