260 KRISTIN HERSH, Vic Chesnutt, Bristol St. Georges Hall, Thursday 24 March 1994

A total car-park mare for this venue; eventually had to park a 10 minute run from the gig (running because it was pissing it down). Yikes! The gig itself was an old church on the top of a hill - pews and all! Had a few beers in the cellar bar while support artiste Vic Chesnutt was on, then went upstairs and squatted down at the front for Kristin's set. Just her and a big ol' acoustic guitar, with occasional embellishment from a cellist, Kristin played a set based largely on her solo album "Hips And Makers", and delivered a musical tour de force. Stripped bare of the usual band, Kristin's true talent really shone through. A marvelously expressive and emotive set, mixed with a few humorous tales of motherhood ("big fat dog butt!" apparently being her young son Dylan's current catch-phrase. What is she bringing up?), and two encores revealing the reverence this crowd held her in. A 1 1/2 hour performance in total; cracking stuff, with an encore of the Muses classic, crackling "Cottonmouth" my personal highlight. Lovely!