Live Review: Ruby Waters Took Over the Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham
Coming from Canada, singer-songwriter Ruby Waters took over the Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham for the night on Tuesday 4 th June. A set packed with songs from her new album ‘What’s the Point’ and old gems that the fans adored.
Emotional Start
Toni Sancho got straight into it with angelic vocals alongside a build-up of acoustic guitar. ‘You!’, from her new EP, created a feeling of yearning and she did a brilliant job at conveying her emotions into the song. Providing the room with a solely acoustic set without the inclusion of drums highlighted her strong vocals which were easy to get lost in.
Her set spanned topics of feeling uncontrollably in love, conquering anxiety and getting through depressive periods. ‘Don’t Want To Break Your Heart!’ was a standout, a track connected to Trinidad where she is from. Her vocals have the chance to shine through here. Toni Sancho’s music carries a lot of emotion which was conveyed movingly on stage. She had a cohesiveness to her set, with a distinct sound and unique vocals setting up the night ready for Ruby Waters.
An Exciting Entrance
Ruby entered the stage to a cheering room before beginning with a punchy instrumental to start the show. Beginning with ‘Rabbit Hole’, the softer verses captivated the crowd before the hard-hitting choruses returned. An inclusion of an impressive build bought in a rockier element, the first showcase of Ruby’s strong vocals.
Without taking a break, the following tracks had groovy instrumentals that all the band were really into, having great interaction with each other that added a charismatic element to their stage presence. Moving the night on with pace, the crowd started getting into it, moving and dancing to ‘Breathe’. A pause in instrumentals here showcased Ruby Waters’s ability to take over a room with just her vocals, a split second before the track bursts again.
Let’s Get It Going
Despite already clearly engaging the crowd, she made a statement ‘Let’s get it going!’ which warranted a positive response, and she certainly did. Harder-hitting drums followed by a combined vocal display from both Ruby and the band made the live version of her songs even more dynamic.
Stripping It Back The first half of the set included many new releases. ‘Bucket’ brought the first touch
of softer elements to her set with a twinkling guitar. A pause in drums and the electric guitar replaced with an acoustic added a more emotional element. Then a break took place to ask how everyone was feeling. This received an ‘amazing’ and ‘emotional’ response. A clear showcase of the range of emotion she brought to the room.
Not Stopping There
A fan favourite was certainly ‘Open Arms’. Not only did her vocal range shine through here but everyone in the room instantly became more connected. A sea of hands swaying alongside people hugging one another. Before the night ended ‘Difficult’ presented a more explosive chorus live and built to an instrumental that continued to get the whole crowd moving. Ruby Waters’s energy didn’t die down. Her set was engaging, getting people dancing and clapping, with her happy to be on stage – this was reflected in the positive crowd reception. Despite it being a small stage this didn’t limit them, making great use of space with enjoyable interactions between the band. Ruby Water’s belting vocals were even more touching live alongside more intricate instrumental arrangements that made the night even more memorable.
We hope that Ruby graces us with her presence in Birmingham again, she is a remarkable talent and it was an absolute privilege to be able to see her perform live.
