Claire Sanders of Twisted Trees. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
There will always be a place for your favourite music, the heart, nor brain ever lets go of any of the lyrics that you spent most of your life memorising to the point that if pushed you could recite them word for word under exam conditions whilst sinking in quick sand and rescue only possible if you even get the obscure releases pitch perfect.
Yet over time, something happens. The narrow unflinching view becomes just that little wider, a little less rigid and the broad minded appeal to find something new and exciting takes hold once more as it did when you first started syphoning music into your heart as keenly as a man on the run might syphon petrol from a parked car.
In a room that was pleasantly packed with music lovers, Twisted Trees, Claire and Ron Sanders and Chris Roberts took the crowd on a rich musical direction, a distraction from the norm. They gave the evening’s entertainment at Studio 2 a nice diverse edge to it that befitted the coming of the British summer and finally away from the darkness and in many cases despair that had slung its heavy rain filled heart depressingly into people’s lives.
The set played by Twisted Trees was bountiful, played with an open-heart, abundant in its sincerity and rightly applauded generously by all in the venue. Claire Sanders innocent like vocals lifting the chained souls and the banjo/guitar playing setting it free.
With any set which requires the act or artist to really grab the attention quickly due to the nature of the night’s proceedings, Twisted Trees did more than enough to garner support for a second, third or even 20th gig in which to find yourself amongst a crowd of like-minded attentive listeners. Tracks such as The Waterfall, Salty and Sweet, the sweet sounding The Saviour and Out Of Town paved the way for the audience to look up when they could next catch this threesome live and the final grace of Barry had them scoring out any other commitments in their diary.
A lovely set in which to have caught live, to have been part of and to hear the deliciousness of Claire Sanders’ great voice.
Ian D. Hall