Paula Cole hasn’t performed live in the UK for over 25 years but this weekend she’s back on our side of the pond to perform at The Long Road Festival. Over the course of those years, Cole has released 9 studio albums (taking her overall release tally to 11) and a greatest hits collection, so it’s fair to say that her UK fans have been starved of seeing her perform her music live. Ahead of her performance at The Long Road, Cole made a stop in London for a headline show at Union Chapel in Islington last night.
As I was in the queue to get into the venue, I couldn’t help but overhear the conversations taking place around me. Of course there was talk of “Dawson’s Creek”, the iconic all-women US festival Lilith Fair and fans exchanging stories about how long they’ve followed Cole and her music. The anticipation in Union Chapel was palpable as support act Will Pope performed his 30-minute set and the audience eagerly waited for Cole to grace the stage. For many in attendance, it was their first time seeing her and for me, a lifelong fan of Cole, it was an item about to be ticked off the bucket list.
Arriving on stage a little after 8.45pm, Cole’s three band members started playing the introduction to ‘Me’, a highlight from Cole’s breakthrough 1996 album ‘This Fire’. Cole stepped onto the stage and made her way to the piano as the crowd gave her rapturous applause. With her powerhouse vocals intact and on fine form, Cole jammed out with her band and as the song came to an end, she looked overwhelmed and emotional with the reaction she received. That enthusiastic reception continued for the entirety of the one hour forty-five minute set, with Cole saying more than once that she was feeling tearful.
The first part of the set was front-loaded with songs from ‘This Fire’. ‘Me’ was followed by the album’s mesmerising opening track ‘Tiger’ and the fan favourite frenetic ‘Throwing Stones’. Slowing things down for her next song, ‘Follow the Moon’, a song from her latest record ‘Lo’ about her mother’s health battle, Cole proved to be as enchanting with pared down instrumentation as she was with the band going full pelt. Deep cut ‘Saturn Girl’ from Cole’s debut album ‘Harbinger’, released in 1994, was a surprise inclusion in the set with Cole explaining that a fan had requested it and she decided to relearn it as she never plays it live. It clearly meant a lot to the audience and a woman sat near me wiped tears from her eyes and declared ‘I can’t believe she’s singing this, it’s my favourite song’.
‘I Believe in Love’, mashed up with a bit of Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘Sexual Healing’, was the sole song performed from Cole’s 1999 album ‘Amen’. Its rousing message of the power of love resonated strongly and it was one of the more vibey moments of the night with the band showcasing their extraordinary musicianship. Stepping out from behind the piano, Cole performed “Comin’ Down”, the opening track from 2007’s ‘Courage’ before returning to ‘This Fire’ for the gorgeous ‘Carmen’, which was one of the evening’s highlights. After performing the song Cole remarked that the quieter songs sounded great in the setting of Union Chapel. She wasn’t wrong!
Aside from ‘Where Have All The Cowboys Gone’, which received one of the best crowd responses of the night, the second half of the set was dedicated to songs from ‘Lo’. ‘Green Eyes Crying’ saw Cole strap on an acoustic guitar while the jazzy ‘Take It Take It Take It’ was nothing short of stunning to witness live. ‘The Replacements & Dinosaur Jr’, a song written for a late friend, picked up the tempo before Cole returned to the piano for the deeply personal and affecting ‘Wildflower’.
After leaving the stage and saying goodbye, Cole returned to loud applause for a two-song encore. First up was “I Don’t Want To Wait”, a song I’m sure a lot of the audience were hoping to hear, and Cole explained the true meaning behind the song, which was inspired by her grandfather returning home after the war. Not a mention of “Dawson’s Creek” at all, which I was very pleased about. The song has a far deeper meaning than that much-loved teen drama. For her final song Cole performed ‘Flying Home’ from ‘Lo’, ending on an upbeat and optimistic note.
Consistently throughout the show, I was impressed by Cole’s prowess not only as a musician but also as a vocalist. I knew she was a good singer but hearing her live is something totally different. She has a versatility that few singers possess, able to invoke jazz inflections and R&B riffs, and swiftly move from lighter airy tones to powerful growls and belts. Her ad-libs were highlights for me, and hearing the true range of her voice was jaw-dropping.
It’s fair to say that Cole’s long-awaited return to the UK was well-worth the wait. She struck the perfect balance between the classic songs fans wanted to hear and selections from her new record. The audience seemed delighted with the set list, and as a long-time fan I was very pleased. Of course, I could have picked songs from 2010’s ‘Ithaca’ or 2013’s ‘Raven’ but maybe next time she visits? After the reaction Cole got, I’ll bet she won’t leave it another 25 years before she comes back for more live shows.
Set list: 1. Me 2. Tiger 3. Throwing Stones 4. Follow the Moon 5. Saturn Girl 6. I Believe in Love / Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye cover) 7. Comin’ Down 8. Carmen 9. Green Eyes Crying 10. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone 11. Take It Take It Take It 12. The Replacements & Dinosaur Jr 13. Wildflower 14. I Don’t Want To Wait 15. Flying Home Venue: Union Chapel, London Performance date: 23rd August 2024
