Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man

Few female voices in pop, rock or any other genre for that matter can match that of Beth Gibbons. Her unique blend of jazz cool, hip-hop and off-kilter English folk, combined with that other-worldly West Country twang is downright addictive.

But Out Of Season, last year’s collaboration with Rustin Man (aka Talk Talk’s bassist Paul Webb), saw her embracing a wider palette of textures and melodies, said to be influenced by the early ’70s cult movie The Wicker Man.

Tonight’s show opens with the gorgeously evocative ‘Mysteries’, arguably the best track from that album. Live, it’s even more dazzling; backed by sundry acoustic instruments including guitars, accordion, violin and a low-key rhythm section, the effect is both pastoral and hypnotic. The languid pace and eerie atmosphere continues for most of the performance – ‘Romance’ finds her affecting her tortured Billie Holiday persona, while on ‘Tom The Model’ she comes across like a demented Marlene Dietrich.

Gibbons cuts a beguiling stage presence too - eyes closed, hair dangling in front of her face and the microphone clasped to her mouth like her life depended on it. On the rare moments she speaks it’s nothing more than a shy mumble. She’s apparently working on a new Portishead album due out next year but she’ll do well to better her current incarnation.