Never The Bride Rock The Exchange
By VU Guide
Having seen Never The Bride several times in Bristol I knew that we were in for a great evening. It was our first visit to this community funded venue in Sturminster Newton and at first it didn’t seem like an obvious choice of venue. Sturminster Newton is a small town and I wasn’t sure whether it was the most appropriate place for a Never the Bride gig. I was proved wrong though and on entering the main hall it reminded me of a smaller Colston Hall. The acoustics were fantastic and it felt very intimate. The Exchange has recently won the coveted title of “Best UK small live venue” by Rock the House and it is well deserved.
Nikki Lamborn wasted no time in warming up the crowd and after a short introduction proceeded to belt out the opening song. Never The Bride have been described as rock music’s best kept secret and it is easy to see why. Nikki’s voice has the audience mesmerised from the very first song. Couple this with the extraordinary musical talent of Catherine Feeney (Been) and the result is a faultless performance.
Nikki has a great connection with her audience, taking the time between songs to share funny anecdotes and talk to individual audience members. She says that she talks too much, but I find this endearing and with the loyal fanbase that they have accued over the years obviously feel the same. The band take the time to sing happy birthday to a familiar fan and share their trademark hip flask of tequila with the entire audience. One young fan event presents them with a bottle of tequila along with a song request.
A highlight of the night was the performance of “The Living Tree“, this song was written by Nikki and Catherine for the 2002 album ‘Surprise’. In 2007 it was a top 40 hit for Dame Shirley Bassey. This is an amazing song that never fails to get an audience on it’s feet. Another highlight was the soulful ‘Loser in Love’. Nikki is a vocal powerhouse and puts 100% of herself into every performance making every gig a completely different experience. Never the Bride are not to be missed, there is a very good reason why I keep going back for more.
