Hilarious, potty-mouthed and mesmerisingly beautiful, Nadine Shah is on superb form at the Ramsgate Festival of Sound’s closing evening show. And aside from the banter there is, of course, that remarkable voice – hugely powerful and somehow perfectly suited to this enchanting outdoor venue. In fact, this is the first time the Winterstoke Sun Shelter has been used for a gig – I doubt it will be the last. It was simply magical.
We are here to listen to possibly the last live performance of last year’s critically acclaimed album Kitchen Sink. The whoops and cat calls of “Club Cougar” get the gig going and the enthusiastic, multi-generational crowd (including babies and dogs) start moving and grooving. “This is the most terrifying gig I’ve ever done,” Nadine tells us, a few songs in. “I know virtually everyone here and I owe money to quite a few of you.”
The 300-capacity ornamental rock garden and shelter is packed with supporters, friends and her new husband (“the first of many”). It feels like a private party, on the cliffs high above the sea. Mariah Carey would give her eyeteeth for a little of the gentle sea breeze, which ruffles Nadine’s shimmering locks effortlessly. Her band are tighter than tight and as the sun goes down and the lights go up, she nails “Trad”, “Buckfast” and the others, ending with a truly haunting version of the eery “Prayer Mat”.
She has a lot of love for her adopted town and thanks everyone for looking after her in the sad, bad year since her beloved mother died. She’d thought moving to Thanet would be a move upwards. “I thought you’d be called Thanetians – but you’re just a bunch of scumbags like me,” she laughs. After inviting everyone to the after party at a local pub, she finishes the short show with some much-loved hits; “Holiday Destination” and “Fool” are greeted warmly. Sadly, as she notes, the sentiments of “Out the Way” ("Where would you have me go? I'm second generation, don't you know?") are perhaps even more relevant today than when she wrote the song in 2016. “Take the love we have here and spread it wide,” she suggests, to rapturous applause. And it was a night of love and laughter after a terrible drought.
