LIVE REVIEW: Natalie Merchant

WEARING her trademark sensible skirt and cardigan combo, former 10,000 Maniacs frontwoman Natalie Merchant looked like a primary school teacher at Thursday’s gig, and she acted like one too.

When she stopped mid-set to tell her audience/class a story she did so with the air of a woman who had some very important lessons to teach us about real life - stuff we really needed to know but couldn’t possibly have worked out for ourselves. "Are you still interested?" she asked one naughty boy who insisted on talking. No gold stars for him.

Patronising she may be, but there’s no denying that Miss Merchant has a Rolls- Royce of a voice, and it’s refreshing to see someone making a career out of singing right-on songs about issues like American foreign policy and the environment. It’s just a shame she can’t credit her fans with a bit more intelligence.

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