Appearances can be deceiving. Raye, one might think from her photographs and the sometimes tough voice that comes out of her excellent debut album 21st Century Blues, is a pretty tough cookie. And she probably is – after all, she has made it to the big time in British music, scaling heights other 26-years-olds would kill for.
By Miles Salter
In this year’s Brits, she’s already a winner. The day after the Bridlington Spa gig, she was named as songwriter of the year by the awards ceremony. Tonight, she is full of smiles in the seaside town, ensuring that crowd members are okay, passing bottles to people who are struggling in the heat (it was WAY too hot, and Bridlington Spa needs to seriously attend to its ventilation).
Backed by a six piece band, all sporting white shirts with black bowties, the singer opens with one of 2023’s best singles, The Thrill Is Gone. Her music has echoes of Amy Winehouse, with its mix of soul, blues and jazz, but with a larger helping of urban swagger. She sang numerous songs from the album and talked about addiction, something she discussed with Louis Theroux in his recent interview series. Tonight though, she looks great – healthy and confident and a long way from somebody with drug problems. That said, her album, like Winehouse’s masterpiece Back To Black, its cut from the tougher side of young adulthood, with its false starts and bitter disappointments. Happiness does not make for great songs.
‘I am a chatterbox,’ says Raye at one point at Bridlington Spa. Well, that is an understatement. At times, this show in front of 3000 fans feels like a monologue interspersed with music. The band wait patiently behind her as she rambles on. She plays an acoustic section at the piano, taking audience requests, but interrupts her own songs to talk to the audience. It starts to feel messy and ragged. The show loses its focus, something I have rarely seen. Talking to an audience isn’t easy. Most acts choose to talk sparingly, which is probably the best approach. Raye’s singing isn’t in doubt – her voice trips through octaves with stunning ease – but she should cut back on the chatter. It’s not what the audience has come for.
Miles Salter is a writer and musician based in York. He is front man of the band Miles and The Chain Gang and co-host of the York Calling podcast.
