WORDS AND IMAGES WARREN MILLAR
Virginia-born country singer Morgan Wade brought her “Crossing State Lines (And Oceans!)” Tour to Liverpool’s Olympia Friday night and All Musics Warren Millar was there to catch this rising star of country music.
It’s fair to say that this writer is relatively new to Morgan Wade and the country music scene as a whole but having done a little research and watched a few live performances online we were quite looking forward to this gig. Upon entering the venue we notice that tonight it is an all-seating affair with rows of seating neatly set out on the usual standing area of the Olympia floor. Plenty of cowboy boots and large Stetsons are about tonight as well. The Olympia and its seating plan have a nice homely feel to it as does the stage. A carpet is spread right in the middle with a couple of small tables upon which are placed table lamps and to each side of two stools are larger lamp stands. This stage set barely covers the centre of the stage and leaves wide open spaces all around what is quite a big stage area. It all looks cosy and inviting on the carpet but with a sense of vulnerability on the outside which is quite fitting, we think for an acoustic gig.
In support of Morgan tonight we are entertained by the very charming and witty Kat Hasty. Born and raised in Texas this girl is a real delight to the ears. Most of her songs follow a small introduction as to why and how they were written giving the listener an insight into her life. Kat has a well-measured country voice. It’s so hard to be alone on stage, just you and an acoustic guitar and engage a large audience but because Kat is so likeable and so obviously very talented she has no problem at all in achieving this and much more. We are sure after tonight’s support set she has quite a few more fans under her belt. A really lovely support set.
Just before Morgan Wade is due on stage and as the guitar techs are tuning the three or four guitars on stage we notice that all the lamps have been switched on and the set looks even more cosy and inviting warm glow to the centre stage. Then on walks Morgan Wade and her guitarist Clint Wells and they take up the two stools on each side of the carpeted area. The first song of the night is “Run” and instantly we are in awe of Wade’s classic gravely yet mellow country voice not dissimilar to Janis Joplin. It’s distinctive and powerful without being overwhelming. The sound of the two acoustic guitars is full and vibrant with killer melodies. Her songs are written from experiences and struggles of her life with lyrics that reflect those struggles, none more so that the brilliant “The Night”
In between the songs we are entertained with some delightful tales and stories as Morgan and Clint bounce off each other with some of the tails emanating from the tour itself. Clint tells us that today as they were in Liverpool he had to visit all the sights relating to The Beatles and how he bought a Pink Floyd cap in the Beatles shop on the Albert Dock and also that although it’s cool in the States to call a barman “baby” it’s not that cool here in the U.K. All this chat and telling of tails makes Morgan Wade and this acoustic tour very intimate even in the bigger venues. The set continues with some great music and about halfway through Clint picks up an electric guitar and he shows us his skill during “Mend” with a great solo. Morgan Wade is a true star she writes brilliant music from her experiences, is a talented musician and has one hell of a great country voice anyone who loves country music or just music live as a whole Morgan Wade should be on your bucket list of artists to see.
Set List
1/ Run
2/ Don’t Cry
3/ Psychopath
4/ Matches and Metaphors
5/ The Night
6/ Take Me Away
7/ Fall in Love With Me
8/ Mend
9/ The Night (Part 2)
10/ Crossing State Lines
11/ Met You
12/ I Thought I Walked On Water
13/ Wilder Days
FOLLOW MORGAN WADE
FOLLOW KAT HASTY
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
