Anaesthetize

I first saw Chantel McGregor when she played the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, a few years back. I was blown away by her incredible guitar playing and wonderful voice. Blues Rock at its best, and we’ve seen her a couple of times since when she’s appeared anywhere near Kendal.
But this was not Kendal. I’d already booked to see the Kris Barras Band at the Tivoli in Buckley (that’s going to be tonight’s entertainment) when I noticed Chantel was playing there the night before. Knowing I was already in Chester, it was a bit of a no-brainer to get tickets.
It was a superb show. Her guitar playing was sublime, but the after effects of the lurgy we’ve all suffered from, did mean she occasionally struggled with the vocals. It was a shame there weren’t more people to see it though. Quite a small crowd, possibly - as she herself said - because of the lure of Kris Barras and people not being able to afford both gigs.
The nicest thing about Chantel though is that, despite her prodigious talent, she remains very much the ditzy blonde. Not ashamed of her Yorkshire roots, she chats about anything and everything between songs. Last night, for example, she discussed the lure of Damart (thermal underwear suppliers based in Bingley) when performing in cold venues, and then handed out advice about how to keep warm to a chap in the audience who reckoned his flat was colder than the Tivoli!
So, great music and great on stage banter, making for a most enjoyable evening. If you’re into the Blues, and haven’t already checked her out, I recommend going to see her if she comes anywhere near. And let’s hope that when she returns to the Tivoli, word will have spread and she gets the audience she deserves.