WORDS BY JANET HARDING / IMAGES WARREN MILLAR
In a bitter cold, windy with driving rain Manchester city centre, we walk from Oxford Road station past the iconic Midland Hotel and Central Library building. It’s a city full of outstanding architecture and tonight’s venue is one such building – Albert Hall, Manchester, IS stunning – not the grandest from the outside but the inside is. It’s a treasure – a former Methodist church, it’s one special venue to attend any event. Its austere, orange brick facade with its square tower is now a well known land mark. It’s a very fitting venue for our particular event tonight – the equally stunning Mica Millar, one of Manchester’s very own. It’s fitting also as the video for the title song from this new album ‘Heaven knows’ was filmed entirely at Albert Hall. This grade II listed Wesleyan chapel had been closed and had lain hidden for 40 years before being restored and is now used to host events. One thing’s for sure, with an artist like Mica Millar performing in this glorious, art nouveau concert hall, tonight promises to be spectacular. We’ve been eagerly awaiting this one!
Support – Gavin Holligan
In a last minute line up change, tonight’s support is now Gavin Holligan, former Premier League footballer, now well established jazz/soul musician. It’s a solo acoustic performance and, seated at his key board with lights illuminating him centre stage, he begins the set. Very laid back piano sounds, lounge jazz, but very soulful, very honest and quite moving. It’s completely captivating. The vocal is rich, full bodied, warming and brimming with soul. Powerful, loud and unwavering, the warming, smooth sounds reach out to us, filling this atmospheric building. Up in the balcony here at Albert Hall the terraced seating area on all 3 sides is lined on the seat edges with tiny white LED lights, which twinkle like candle lights throughout the performance, against the backdrop of huge, arched, stained glass windows. In the darkness it’s a stunning effect and sits perfectly with these laid back and smooth sounds of gentle piano and that rich, velvety voice.
It’s a mainly slower tempo set, very intense, which honestly causes goose bumps, but the few lighter and up tempo tracks have a funk feel to them. I get Stevie Wonder vibes; it’s a very refined sound. Gavin has performed and collaborated with some huge artists, including Stevie Wonder, Jocelyn Brown and Duffy. Notes are reached and held with ease and Gavin introduces each song, explaining the themes and back ground stories which is a lovely and personal touch. He’s very natural, totally comfortable up on stage and very likeable. All in all a lovely, laid back, quite heart-warming performance, setting the tone perfectly for what’s to follow.
Thank you, Gavin Holligan, brilliantly played, superb vocal and a great set.
Mica Millar – Headline
For tonight’s main event we have an album launch: it’s the debut album ‘Heaven Knows’ from the stunning Mica Millar. With a wide range of themes – spirituality, love, empowerment and city living, inspiration from other people’s stories and emotions, along with emotions Mica herself has experienced. This eclectic, exciting and I must say beautiful album is to be performed before us tonight with an 8 piece band to back Mica’s more than impressive voice. It’s an all seated event, and this fits perfectly with the whole feel of tonight; it feels special, exclusive, grand almost. As the lights dim and we sit in the flickering candle light effect with bated breath, a hush takes over this venue. The band assemble on stage and begin to play as beams of white lighting slowly radiate from the back of the stage, brightening the huge columns which hold up arches all around this former church. When Mica herself arrives on stage there’s a deafening sound as applause ripples around us.
It’s straight into the first song, ‘Girl’, and it’s spine tingling. The vocal has such clarity, it’s like fine cut crystal. There’s a really smoky feel to the lower tones, real jazz type tones, but an overall feeling of soul or rhythm and blues. It’s very impressive. Clouds of dry ice fill the hall as rods of lighting pierce through it, creating an effect like shafts of bright sunlight through clouds. It’s a very uplifting experience, coupled with the sounds, and this is added to by the effect this very atmospheric venue already gives us. A spectrum of colours in fantastical lighting sequences radiates around the hall, bringing the feels up another level, and from up here in the balcony area it’s quite spectacular.
Mica herself, standing centre stage like some goddess type figure, dressed in black and white flowing palazzo pants and gown, cuts a figure somewhat like the Statue of Liberty among the mist of dry ice and spotlights. The sounds are delectable…skippy jazz beats, shimmery cymbals, smooth and shining guitars and snappy piano sections. The vocal is very distinctive – rich, full and round, warm like honey with caramel tones. It’s full and soulful, open and honest, but refined and nurtured.
I’m reminded of Joss Stone at times and Lisa Stansfield voice-wise, though this is a much more jazz/blues style. There are deeper, slower paced tracks which are filled with texture, intensity and so much depth in this outstanding vocal, but on the whole it’s a very upbeat feeling set. It personally feels very spiritual, with the obvious venue of course, but the feel of the music too – very uplifting, transcending; it’s joyous but at the same time it’s smooth, mellow and relaxed; it’s very comfortable. I’ve not been able to stop smiling this whole set so far, it’s genuinely happy-making stuff. Between songs Mica is delightful – genuine, humble and very likeable. She explains how much tonight means to her, what an honour it is to be playing this iconic venue, especially her being from Manchester. In a very touching and heartfelt speech she gives honest thanks to everyone present here tonight, then claps to the audience as a crowd light floods the venue with bright white light and she looks from one end to the other smiling, looking at the crowd all clapping back and cheering at her. This really is such a lovely thing to be a part of. I can honestly say I feel very privileged and honoured to have been invited to this, and it’s blatantly obvious how much this means to her and how happy she is over it.
Back to the music as the set continues, and my overall feels tonight are of blues, I get real, deep down, old style American blues. Aside from the more jazz sounding tracks, some have a distinct, steady beat, like foot stamping, light, echoey guitars, often a ‘ragtime’ feeling piano, and backing vocals lap like gentle waves in a soothing effect. Mica’s vocal is breath-taking…such control, starting low, soulful, often a delicious grate, then loud, even in tone, then soaring notes, held for extended periods. It evokes feels of another era, this sound, especially during the performance of ‘No money not faith’, starting very low key, echoing bass lines, guitar and Cajun style beat, with low, smouldering vocals, then Mica and every band member clap the timing of the beat. It’s very effective. This really does feel like something from Depression era America, from the Dustbowl in prohibition 1930s. It’s that kind of blues – chilling, stark, stirring, sad, despairing and very atmospheric. You can imagine it being sung by a small congregation of desperate farm hands in a small wooden chapel in Oklahoma or somewhere, like a soundtrack from the series ‘Damnation’. It’s quite amazing. and the entire audience is hanging on a thread, Mica owns her stage and we are all transfixed. After one jaw dropping and very enjoyable set, the performance comes to an end.
Mica gives thanks and exits the stage, leaving us with the band and wonderful backing singers to finish the song. Foot stamping, clapping, people on their feet, I could imagine hats being swung around in the air and then thrown onto the stage in bygone times. After a few minutes Mica s back on stage with the most stunning encore, ending with rapturous, roof raising applause and a full house standing ovation. I’m stunned; I’m lost for words as to how to describe this! My cheeks ache from smiling; my heart’s been pounding and I’ve had goose pimples throughout this entire event!
Something radiates from within Mica Millar, and manifests as her talent for song writing, her creativity in capturing an entire feel, and one huge, stunning voice. Accompanied by one amazing band and immense backing vocalists, in one of the most atmospheric venues in the UK, this has truly been something I shan’t ever forget, and I mean this sincerely; It’s been an honour to attend, and even more so to write about.
If you don’t already know Mica Millar, I implore you to listen to this album and, if you’re already a fan, do go see her live. Breathtaking from start to finish. Thank you
SET LIST
1/ Girl
2/ Preacher Man
3/ More than you give me
4/ Flashlights
5/ Trouble
6/ Fools fate
7/ When you’re gone
8/ No money not faith
9/ Stay
10/ Down River
11/ My Lover
12/ Nothing for keeps
14/ Give view my prayer
Encore
15/ Heaven Knows
16/ Will I see you again
FOLLOW MICA MILLAR
FOLLOW GAVIN HOLLIGAN
Warren is a live music and festival photographer based in Cheshire and covers gigs/festivals mostly in the North West of England. He has been photographing live music for over 10 years and has covered major artists and festivals
