Sunday 3rd December 06 - Sounds of the City featuring Signe Tollefsen and Ade Webb at the Lamp Hull (2/2) By Michelle Dee

(1/2), (2/2).

Photograph Gallery   Signe Tollefsen Gallery .,   Ade Webb Gallery .

Very soon after Signe started, silence descended throughout the room. Each and every person fell under her enchanting spell. In between songs, she entertains with stories that offer an insight into her writing and personality. She explained that often a song would come pouring out after someone had done really bad things to her. She spoke about an ill suited partner and a song she wrote about drinking and smoking and the realization to come later that he was no good for her. Her voice hypnotic, her guitar style minimalist, almost ponderous as she falls into full bodied deep sounds or pin prick sharp notes.

Shifting from a twelve string to a six stringed instrument she produces startlingly different guitar sounds. She also uses different tunings, including an almost open tuning which means you use less fingers on the fret-board to produce the different chord sequences.

Signe manages to be both easy and laidback yet intense and emotional simultaneously. It's not just the sonorous voice and the rising falling string sounds but the fearless way in which she commands the attention, creating a powerfully beguiling atmosphere. I watched as men anxiously dashed to and fro, buying drinks, afraid they might miss something. She sang a poignant song with the line die an artist and not know glory now, that had me close to tears. And then, a song called This is it that started of spectral and shadowy then tones increasingly desperate, as if clinging on to something precious and beautiful.

The silence after the song was unsurpassed as the audience looked on overawed and spellbound.

Sweet tears followed and introduced a smoky blues element, strong bass lines with unusual vocal mid sections that broke up the rhythm. Signe drops in to her set an obscure track by David Bowie as song taken from the film Labyrinth. This one has more of a pop ballad feel and incorporates vibrato vocals not the obvious lip tremblers of a Saturday night talent show, but more measured and controlled.

During I caught you watching I sat, breathed in the heartfelt sentiments, the anticipation and desire. Her finale King of the Fire was magnificent, and as her voice easily reached higher and higher notes, we touched on a singing arena that is usually left to the arias of the opera.

Signe Tollefsen is a hugely talented unique must see artist. By far and away, the best solo act I've seen in my three years of musing on local music. It is incredible she has not been picked up by a major label yet. After Signe came back for an earthy and passionate encore in the style of Nina Simone the applause rang on and on. She explained to us how she has entered some kind of Dutch music competition. Apparently, and I find this hard to believe, she is lagging behind some of the other artists and encouraged us to vote online for her. So here are the instructions from Signe on how to vote.

So, click on this link www.grolschgroteprijs.nl/stemmen?a=categorie&cat_id=3 go all the way down, find me (listen to one of my songs first, to see if you really want to vote for me), fill in your email address, click on "stem" (means "vote"). You'll get an email in which you have to click on the first link in the message. A window will pop up. Click on "bevestig" (means confirm), and you're done! Here you can check how I'm doing: grolschgroteprijs.nl/categorie?c=3&s=4 www.myspace.com/signetollefsen www.myspace.com/adewebb

Photograph Gallery   Signe Tollefsen Gallery .,   Ade Webb Gallery .

Photographs courtesy and Copyright ©  Michelle Dee 2006

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