Scottish 1980s hit-maker Eddi Reader packed the Otago
Settlers Museum for her one-off concert on Thursday night.
The former Fairground Attraction lead singer began with a
song of romance in which she revealed her partner of eight
years had wooed her with Wild Mountain Side.
We were moved and entertained to more tales, of her own and
of Scottish bard Robert Burns, whose words Reader sings in
her lilting melodies.
Her songs based on Burns' work, which earned Reader an MBE in
2006, struck a particularly poignant chord with the Dunedin
audience.
Songs like Ae Fond Kiss and Charlie Is My
Darling were reeled off with feeling and wit.
The set had all the favourites: Red Rose, Lazy Lindsay, Ye
Jacobites, Dragonflies, Perfect and tracks from last
year's Love Is The Way album.
Reader, who started playing guitar and busking from a young
age, had an easy and natural rapport with her audience.
The flame-haired singer, who has sung with the likes of the
Eurythmics, Alison Moyet, the Jools Holland band and the
Scottish National Orchestra, demonstrated her versatility by
slipping easily between traditional folk songs and '80s hits
by acoustic band Fairground Attraction.
The band's 1988 international hit Perfect, which
launched her to stardom, was an obvious and warmly welcomed
hitof the evening.
Twelve lovely songs in all, plus a spontaneous, unaccompanied
ditty, warning of the dangers of letting a fellow's hand
drift above the knee.
Reader was ably backed by guitarist, songwriter and long-time
collaborator Boo Hewerdine and piano accordion player Alan
Kelly.
A special night with a special singer.
She promises to return next year.
Romance and poetry are alive.
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