ShareSamantha Fish performing at The Stables Milton Keynes on Wednesday 8th May 2019
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Samantha Fish was at The Stables in Milton Keynes last night for the second date on her UK tour and showed just what a stunning guitarist she really is.
Having been recording and touring nonstop since 2009, she is planning on releasing another album, Kill Or Be Killed, in August this year, which will be her tenth, but last night she gave special treatment to her two praise worthy albums released in 2017, Chills And Fever (in March) and Belle Of The West (in November).
She began her set with Bulletproof, played on a cigar box guitar which she really made sing, with fierce changes in the tempo that made for a fantastic start. Wildheart and Love Letters followed which allowed her to move her vocals seamlessly between being soft and rich to the more raucous rock and blues.
Chills And Fever is a much heavier album than Belle Of The West and as she plays songs from both, Fish was able to vary the pace of things, playing a few of the faster, louder songs like the funky sounding Little Baby, with its slightly country twang, then bringing the pace down a little with the slower Blood In The Water with its sublime vocal harmonies.
Don’t Say You Love Me proved what an immense talent Fish is as she showcased several changes of guitar, and even when there was an issue with the drum kit, she improvised with an acoustic finish whilst the rest of the band fixed the problem.
I’m In Love had a beautiful build up of swirling keys and drums and for the last song of the set, she had her cigar box on her shoulder and a slide on her finger before she launched into a blistering rendition of Crow Jane.
Her encore number was Bitch On The Run, which brought to an end a blistering evening that had seen her entertain with blues, rock, soul and country. There has been an unsuccessful search for a challenge to Joe Bonamassa as the King of the Blues, but last night it was the wonderful Fish who deservedly put on the crown, because undoubtedly she is a whole performer at the top of her game.
