Monday, 30 May 2016

Live Review: Clare Bowen @ The Metro - May 28, 2016


The Australian star of the amazing TV show, "Nashville", returned home to attend to some very important family business, but also found time to reward her home fans with an amazing concert series that was a brilliant night of music, laughs and love.

When "Nashville" first began I always loved Scarlett, her honesty, her beauty, her talent. It wasn't until a little later I discovered that she was infact Australian - this made me love her more, and wow, her American accent is spot on. Her songs, whether with Gunnar or solo, were always highlights of the show and have given me many hours of listening pleasure. And while I'm at it, I will add my weight behind the whole #BringBackNashville movement - we need another season, I mean, Juliette!!!!!?????


Now I didn't know what to expect from Clare's gig but I knew I had to go. Would she only sing songs from "Nashville", would she only do original material? I didn't mind either way, but was very happy it was a combination of both. Combined with the support act of her very brave brother, Timothy Bowen, the show was several hours of pure heart.

Playing in a theatre that Clare lovingly told us she once worked at, and once had a bucket full of cold water and coloured feathers fall on her at 4am; it was the perfect homecoming. The very full theatre was filled with enamoured fans who hung off every word, sang along to the songs they knew and cheered so loud that at times Clare seemed genuinely taken aback and gracious.


I'll get to the music in a moment, but first I wanted to talk about how open, natural and warm Clare was on stage. She poured out her heart to the audience and we loved every moment. There were times Clare was in tears while talking about her brother's cancer diagnosis and most of the audience cried with her, including this big burly man. She was so very engaging, and funny. She even joked about her bastardised accent, a combo of her natural Aussie and an American twang. Plus the chemistry with her band was incredible, especially with her fiance - the very attractive and talented Brandon Young. When she brought her brother and his girlfriend on stage, the show only continued to get better.

As for the music, her vocals were sharp and on point. It was obvious from the start that Clare had the best vocal ability on Nashville, and she only proved that further by skillfully singing perfectly all evening. There was a great amount of songs from "Nashville", and naturally the one everyone wanted to hear was "Black Roses", and it was definitely a highlight. The song is epically beautifully and I feel so blessed to have heard Clare nail it live. "If I Didn't Know Better" brought down the house, and the curtain call of "A Life That's Good" was an event in itself. Phones on flashlight looking like fairy lights and Clare encouraging the very eager crowd to sing along. Such a special moment.


As for the originals, we didn't need to know them, we listened and were happy to be brought into Clare's world, great tales of love and self acceptance. Plus, Clare let Timothy and Brandon have their moments to shine, Timothy singing the song he got to write for Nashville, a brilliant number Charles Esten's Deacon sang on the show, and Brandon sang a powerful ballad called, "Brave".

So many times you see a show and while it is enjoyable, you don't feel an emotional connection to the performer, with a Clare Bowen show you get that emotional connection and more. This was a stunning night out with a very talented performer who deserves the world and more. Now where is that fifth season of Nashville?


Join us on social media to find when out we release a blog, there's a lot of fun coming up and some competitions. Join now at:

No comments:

Post a Comment