2005/04/14  Fleece; Bristol, UK first night of the tour and kathleen edwards is clearly apprehensive. "i had a shitass of a gig here last time round" is her opening comment, but it's also the last sign of the confrontational, beer-swilling, foot-stomping, butt-shaking kathleen of yore. perhaps partly because she's now hitched to guitarist and producer colin cripps, there's a far more stable, contented, almost demure air about her. cripps is the type of musician you assume must have left the womb with a gibson sg already cemented to his hands, and his musical interplay with guest jim bryson lies at the joyous musical heart of kathleen edwards' band. almost all the songs from back to me are of such stunning quality and panoramic variety that there isn't a second when the audience isn't completely entranced, particularly as she duets with bryson on "mercury" and "somewhere else." by the end, encoring solo with "away," the stage-crowd banter is so good-humored and natural that you just know, as the blue tour bus heads out over the avon, that this is going to be one hell of a career-cementing tour. oliver gray amplifiermagazine.com				Album reviews Feature articles Interviews Show reviews