Live Review: Dar Williams @ Bush Hall.

by | Mar 7, 2014

Dar Williams at Bush Hall in London on 5 March 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Dar Williams at Bush Hall in London on 5 March 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

The elegant Bush Hall venue in west London is adorned with red velvet curtains and glistening chandeliers, an ornately carved ceiling overhead and a soft carpet underfoot. So, what would it take to dwarf such grandeur? The answer, it transpires, is the songs and stories of US songstress Dar Williams.

She walks on stage alone, with a big smile and a guitar, and from the moment her first chords ring through the venue, we are whisked away on a trip down weird and wonderful pathways. We visit the tumultuous landscape of the Pacific north west one moment, the world of sinister social experiments another and the delicate emotions of childhood disappointments the next.

There’s no new album to promote – Dar’s last release was 2012’s ‘In The Time Of Gods’, a record largely thematically shaped by Greek mythology. But after a couple of decades of recording and touring, she has easily garnered enough of a following to sell out a UK tour without the need for new material.

Dar Williams at Bush Hall in London on 5 March 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Dar Williams at Bush Hall in London on 5 March 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

As such, tonight’s setlist spans her impressive back catalogue, displaying her breadth of subject and emotion, from the poignant yearning of ‘If I Wrote You’, to the disturbing tale of ‘Buzzer’, which was inspired by the infamous 1960s Milgram obedience experiment in the States, involving electric shocks.

Dar’s powerful voice and imaginative songs grasp the audience’s undivided attention – there’s a notable absence of chatter and clinking of glasses that can so often trouble the quiet numbers of solo acoustic acts. But it’s her conversation between songs that sends the entertainment factor through the roof. Witty anecdotes and banter with the crowd really make this a show, not just a concert. It’s easy to see why people return again and again to her gigs when, on top of great performances, there’s such warmth, insight and humour exuding from the stage and carried throughout the room.

She clearly tries to accommodate her audience’s wishes too, taking requests for songs and even claiming to be wearing a specific dress for a fan who, it turned out, couldn’t make it.

Dar Williams at Bush Hall in London on 5 March 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Dar Williams at Bush Hall in London on 5 March 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Recent tracks given an airing tonight include ‘I Am The One Who Will Remember Everything’. Older songs, such as ‘The Babysitter’s Here’, ‘Iowa (Travelling lll)’ and in particular ‘The Ocean’, with its rapturous sing-a-long chorus, have fans dropping their British reserve and joining in enthusiastically.

Having had the chance to chat with Dar before the show, I had slipped in a request for possibly her weirdest song, ‘Flinty Kind Of Woman’ from debut album ‘The Honesty Room’. She laughed and said she’d try to practise it before the show, as it wasn’t one she plays live very much. Indeed, she delivered a thundering performance of it towards the end of the night and the room erupted with delight.

Dar Williams at Bush Hall in London on 5 March 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Dar Williams at Bush Hall in London on 5 March 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

She is quickly brought back for an encore and, after jokingly striking a yoga pose so that people can get their photographic needs out of the way, she launches into the tender classic ‘You’re Aging Well’. She introduces the track as “the song that brought me over the Atlantic for the first time, because I sang it with Joan Baez”. This serves as a timely reminder that Dar has performed with many greats of the folk music world. Tonight’s show and her sold out tour suggest she may soon, if not already, be considered one of those greats, too.

The encore ends with ‘The Hudson’ and the lights go up. As I leave the venue I see Dar entrenched at the merchandise table, surrounded by fans, signing CDs and happily chatting away.

The splendour of both venue and show makes this one of those gigs you know you’ll be smiling about long after you’ve caught the last tube home.

Review and photographs by Imelda Michalczyk

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000EsbBuT9Lpk4″ g_name=”Dar-Williams” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

Sophie Lloyd @ Download Festival XXII - Saturday (Simon Reed)

Saturday In Photos At Download Festival XXII

As Download XXII roared into its second full day, Saturday continued the weekend's adrenaline-fuelled ride with...
Charli xcx @ Lido Festival 2025 (Henry Redcliffe)

Charli xcx’s ‘PARTYGIRL’ Rules The Night At LIDO Festival 2025 — A Euphoric Takeover In East London

East London was ablaze with brat energy on Saturday night as Charli xcx delivered a genre-defying, euphoric headline...
Green Day @ Download Festival XXII - Friday (Simon Reed)

Friday In Photos At Download Festival XXII

The sun rose over Donington Park as Download XXII launched into its first full day of music on Friday, setting the...
Roger Daltrey with The Who - Teenage Cancer Trust @ Royal Albert Hall (Kalpesh Patel)

Roger Daltrey Awarded Knighthood for Services To Music And Charity

Roger Daltrey, legendary frontman of The Who and lifelong champion of young people facing cancer, has officially been awarded a Knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours list for 2025. The honour recognises not only his groundbreaking contributions to British music, but also his tireless work with Teenage Cancer Trust, the charity he has helped elevate to national prominence over the past three decades.

Sophie Grey @ Heilbronn (Kevin Ford)

Sophie Grey Brings ‘Retro Electro’ To The Big Stage With Sting Collab And New Music Video

Armed with a keytar, a singular sonic aesthetic, and an unapologetic love for retro-electro vibes, Sophie Grey is carving her place on the global stage — one synth-heavy track at a time. This summer, the rising artist has not only opened arena shows across Europe but has also shared the stage with none other than Sting, adding her signature flair to performances of The Police classic Spirits In The Material World on his 3.0 tour.

Fiaa Hamilton (Adam Brazier)

Fiaa Hamilton Celebrates Birthday With Empowering New Single ‘Nothing Is Perfect’

Rising pop powerhouse Fiaa Hamilton continues her skyward trajectory with the release of her bold and emotionally resonant new single Nothing Is Perfect, arriving just in time to mark her birthday. The track sees Fiaa cement her growing status as one of 2025’s most compelling new voices in pop, following a breakout year that’s included a New Faces For 2025 nod from The Sun and a performance at TikTok’s Live Fest alongside Jason Derulo and Zara Larsson at London’s iconic Roundhouse.

The Sons Of Guns (Cléa Margaret)

The Sons Of Guns Bring Modern Sunshine To ’70s Folk-Rock With Radiant Debut EP ‘You Shine The Sun’

Emerging from the sun-drenched hills of Nice with roots stretching back to Doncaster and even Bombay, genre-blurring...
Kane Brown (Dennis Leupold)

Kane Brown Drops Summer Anthem ‘2 Pair’ & Gears Up for International Tour

Genre-blending country trailblazer Kane Brown is officially soundtracking your summer with his brand-new single 2...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing