Gig , Solas

Rachel Sermanni

One of the last acts performing at Solas last year was Rachel Sermanni, a young solo acoustic performer whose spirit and songwriting captivated the audience. A month or so after the festival we got hold of her "first" debut EP, "The Bothy Sessions" which promptly became a firm favourite. Next weekend she is launching another EP, "Black Currents" which is also being touted as her debut.

Tonight Rachel was the support act in the Union Chapel, this time playing with an eight-piece band. How could we not go along?

The venue was filled with continental voices, waiting for the Spanish headliner Russian Red, but I suspect a fair few were won over by Rachel and the band's dynamic set. Three fiddles, a double bass, keyboard, guitar and two percussionists added depth and texture. The set drew from both EPs, with a few unreleased songs thrown in for good measure. Even then some songs we heard at Solas were missing - this is an artist with a repertoire ready for releasing on a full length album.

Rachel Sermanni's been getting an increasing amount of radio play in recent months. I hope this is a sign that we will all be hearing a lot more of her in the future.