ELEANOR McEvoy first caught the public's attention in 1992 when she performed her little-known, self-penned song Only a Woman's Heart at a concert and a fellow music colleague in attendance asked her if a record company could feature the song on an album dedicated to Irish female singer/ songwriters.
The album took its name from McEvoy's single and A Woman's Heart went on to become (and remains to this day) the biggest selling Irish album of all time, selling three-quarters of a million copies in its native country alone. Since then, McEvoy has toured the world over and released nine studio albums, the latest of which, Alone, sees her return to a simpler, barer style.
She has been on an extensive tour to promote it ever since, which she jokingly dubbed the Girl in the Black Car tour, as she literally drives around the country in a black hearse.
Supporting McEvoy was Bristol based artist Rebecca Cant, whose weary vocals recalled singer/ songwriters from the 90s, most noticeably Fiona Apple.
She's a talented performer, but her songs all have a tendency to finish rather abruptly, leaving the audience surprised that the song has actually ended.
The stripped-down aesthetic of her latest album echoed McEvoy's performance, where only she and whatever she could play were present, though it gave her ample room to demonstrate her incredible musicianship, as she played violin, piano, guitar, sang a capella, and even performed with a pair of rattling matchboxes for accompaniment.
The actual songs themselves ran the gamut between light and fluffy, concerned with fashion or the complications of dating, to the weighty, such as Sophie, a song about anorexia that is used in healing centres for people struggling with the disease.
She also had time for covers of some of her favourite artists, like Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, and Joni Mitchell, the latter which prompted her to leave the stage and play in the aisle.
Though presented simply, McEvoy's performance on Friday night was superb, full of charm, good humour, and a testament to her ability as writer and performer.
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