A lone voice in the crowd simply says… ‘wow‘ and it’s exactly what we’re all thinking. This was an emotional night in Manchester’s Band on the Wall and a masterclass in how to captivate an audience. If you were there, believe me, you won’t forget it.
Joan As Police Woman, as her instagram says, is ‘not a cop‘. She is however resplendent in shocking pink tonight, and takes to a suitably smoky stage for a bluesy, sometimes jazzy set with her band, Jeremy Gustin on drums and Will Graefe on guitar. The three are arranged in a triangle, drums stage left, where I get to witness some spectacular skills up close and personal (and some spectacular loafers it has to be said).
This is a night to celebrate the release of Joan’s latest album ‘Lemons, Limes and Orchids‘. In fact the set includes nine songs off the new album. And what a treat they are. ‘Long for Ruin’ immediately stands out with the line ‘do we secretly long for ruin?’ repeated over and over and over in a question/ plea.
The title track itself is sublime. We let it wash over us and the crowd is spellbound. You could honestly hear a pin drop and there isn’t a phone in sight. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this level of respect for an artist at a gig and my goodness is it deserved.
This is a gig of two parts and the second includes big hitters like ‘The Ride’. Opening with a stripped back, almost Spanish sounding guitar, the emotion in this track is intense. Eyes glisten all around me. ‘Real Life’ comes in the encore. Fans sing and cling to each other in the front row.
There is a reason why Manchester loves Joan As Police Woman (she tells us it’s her longest played city). And Joan loves Manchester back, staying to greet fans in a massive queue at the merch stand, genuinely happy to see everyone, even though this was her fifth gig on the bounce.
I asked superfan Bunny to sum the night up in five words… ‘ amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing‘. There you have it.
Lemons, Limes and Orchids is out now (released by Play it Again Sam).
Catch Joan As Police Woman in London (9th Oct), Brighton (10th Oct) and Cardiff (11th Oct) before the band head to Europe and then more UK and Ireland dates in April starting with Belfast (8th April 2025).
Keep in touch with Joan As Police Woman: Facebook/ Instagram
Review and photography by Breige Cobane
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