Review by Paul H Birch, photos by Rich Ward

The pint of Bathams ale goes down well. It’s my first ever. Drinking it might help solidify my Black Country bloodline credentials. Not that there’s dissent here. The Lamp Tavern’s one of the most welcoming venues I’ve ever had the privilege to enter. It’s also on the small side but its patrons have big hearts, those you’ve met before greeting you warmly, others new here striking up conversations freely. My first time here was last year, to see Erja Lyytinen as now. There’s a great big canvas featuring the cover of her new album, Smell The Roses, adorning the back wall as we chat awaiting her diminutive appearance before us.

With a roar of applause she walks down the aisle, guitar in hand, cornered by her rhythm section – As last time, the guys’ names escape me, but it’s the same long pony-tailed five string bass player who’ll also be doing more backing vocals this time round, while the drummer’s changed from a muscular guy to a young blond who doesn’t so much hit his kit as strike it with orchestral precision.

Erja Lyytinen herself seems somewhat taller than I recall, possibly higher heels but I can’t see them, rather her horizontally slashed tight spandex styled black trousers topped by a white vest bearing the album cover, and the new cropped haircut that’s also featured on said record. She’ll also be sporting four guitars, and she tells us this early on, though primarily I’ll recall her playing two mainly, the first a hollow-bodied sparkly sky blue affair. She greets us in both English and Finnish, continuing in her native tongue as she talks and introduces us to her soundman.

With a great threshing across the length of her guitar the evening begins in earnest, slide in her left hand, a plectrum affixed to her thumb in her right; the band leads into brand new number ‘Ball And Chain’, with solos taking us in many a varied direction, though frankly; she’s simply warming up because they’re soon into their next number of the night.

Giving us chance to breath before the third song, she changes to a white guitar with again a sparkly, red face plate, as she tell us: It’s good to be back in The Lamp Tavern!” If anything, my pal next to me, reckons it’s even more packed in here than last year. If physically possible, she herself knows the reason, commenting “It has a good atmosphere” then adding: “This song has too – ‘Going To Hell!” 

Imagine a Robert Fripp guitar riff played with a deft sweeping sweetness of touch. You can’t can you? But that’s what I heard. Progressive licks invert into a roughly blues framework before more traditional pentatonic shapes are cast about her left hand as she solos, with an added metal edge to the sound. Returning to the main song, those riffs go in turnabout, the band really gelling even as sustained tension runs through her guitar strings, and it’s only near the end, in hindsight, where we begin to appreciate just how good she’s singing tonight.

A big smile beaming across her face, as she finishes, then tells us about the new songs due tonight. “The next song, ‘Dragonfly’, is about trying to clear your head… A deep song…,” she declares while part laughing in self-depreciation. 

The drummer sets up a beat, the audience start to clap, then an almost garage rock sound gives way to close-knit solos before the sound shuffles again; there’s the distant echo of a reggae beat going on, and it’s something I’ll subtly hear in other tunes tonight, something I’m putting it down to the rhythm section’s interplay but it’s far from obvious from the way they play. “That song’s always take me back to the forest, days spent backpacking,” she tells us after, and will talk more about her love of nature later during the set. Aptly, a rose of a different blooms surfaces next with ‘Bad Seed’ that adds a little funk to the mixture, coming across sensual and sexy.  Then, just as we’re suitably worked-up she reveals they’ll be performing two sets tonight, and the next is the last for the first half, fortunately it’s her latest single, ‘Abyss’ that’s over seven minutes on record so likely to be longer live.

‘Abyss’ is also somewhat different in form tonight. Bass prominent initially with waves of classic rock and prog unfolding over echoed woeful solos before her left leg kicks down on wah-wah bringing back the funk only for the drumming to up the tempo and broken chords illicit AOR rock prior to some weird amalgamation that resembles something akin to The Police jamming with Blue Oyster Cult. It shouldn’t work but it does, and it’s a long way from the blues but what the hell. As they tip the scales once more, Lyytinen gives it some real rock ‘n roll in her final solo before effects embolden the sound further for it reach its climax. That the traditional Lamp Tavern raffle during the intermission doesn’t disappoint either simply demonstrating the genial atmosphere here.

Opening her second set with another new number, ‘Wings To Fly’ it’s another nature-related tune, primarily a folk number that become more rugged in its blues rocked choruses, prior to the bass again shaping direction over which she emits cathartic sustained notes that puts you in mind of birds in soaring flight. In complete turnabout she ask: “Are you ready for this?” as the hefty throbbing rock of ‘You Talk Dirty’ crushes deep. That it’s followed by slowish new number ‘Empty Hours’ could have been a misstep, but it proves an effective soundscape musically. Swopping to a bright pink guitar from which discord turns to broken chords flirting with a country motif it’s not long before we’re back in experimental freeform, she readily admitting “That was quite a trip,” as the applause dies down.

Too soon we’re told ‘Wedding Day’ will be their last song of the set. It’s loud and raucous with a full-on boogie romp for this singalong. So far, so good, because she begins racing up and down that fretboard of hers playing to the front row before strolling down one of the aisles, then before I know it; she’s barely a foot away from me and stands there for a good few minutes soloing away. She turns, as the bar staff pour her a single malt whisky, turns back my way before slowly edging back down the other aisle towards the stage for what’s a most satisfactory climatic ending.

Encoring with yet another new song isn’t something most acts are apt to do these days, but as Lyytinen exclaims, “It’s so interesting to play new songs because they’re so fresh.”  Fortunately, ‘The Ring’ proves another crowd pleaser – a late 70s styled rocker high on melody with a cheeky and charismatic slide refrain and a grab-bag collection of fun but not always wholesome lyrics. Near the end of the number those seated are up and clapping even as the band swirl into what can only be described as a blues rock jig, and if there was enough room we might well dancing the end of the night away. As it is, that’s it, thanks to all present offered, a celebratory photo and group bow before they greet fans at the merchandise stand.

A year on, Erja Lyytinen proves more confident in her stagecraft, and she’s obviously enjoying being an entertainer. That she’s got such a grand selection of songs to choose from definitely helps. Thus, we can only hope we get to see her again at the same place, next year.