Nadia Reid

Leaving behind the 30 degrees of her native Dunedin, NZ, for Manchester mid-February may have caused Nadia Reid to question her tour manager's wisdom regarding the timing of her return to the UK, but I for one believe he deserves a huge pat on the back.

In fact the irony of opening with 'Seasons Change' is not lost on a subdued but appreciative audience, although she can't help but taunt us with 'Glasgow was more rowdy'.

The inevitable but welcome inclusion of new songs from the incoming sophomore album 'Preservation' demonstrated a new level of sophistication in her songwriting.

'Richard' and 'The Arrow and the Aim' were welcome strangers in from the cold. While the more familiar 'Holy Low', 'Reaching Through' and granted request 'Ruby' were delivered with far greater assurance than last years appearance in a cosy gremlin-ridden library.

Miss Reid quips that she almost had time for a cup of tea during the strangely delayed clamour for an encore, but the tardiness is rewarded with arguably her most well-known song 'Call the Days'.

I for one hope that she sees fit to 'seek out her winter coat' for a third visit come rain, hail or shine.

She WAS really good, she had some REALLY good (humourous)chat with the audience too, which I always think is the mark of a great entertainer.

She stopped one of her songs part way through to tell some REALLY annoying people who were talking very loudly near the front in the crowd to tell them to shutup, and she was quite right to do so.

She has great material and a really lovely vocal style, her guitarist plays some really eloquent lines so she is well worth seeing if she comes around.