Laura Marling review: Live-streamed Union Chapel gig gives us something to be grateful for

Laura Marling at Union Chapel 6/6/2020 picture provided by PR for use with review
Joel Ryan
Rachel McGrath7 June 2020

An acoustic set from Laura Marling makes for a special Saturday night - even if you are watching it on your laptop at home.

The singer-songwriter, who released her seventh studio album to critical acclaim earlier this year, has become the first known act to stage a “proper” concert in London during lockdown, taking to the stage at an eerily empty Union Chapel for a pay per view set.

Could this be the (temporary) future of live music? Marling certainly makes a case for it.

The technology side of things worked without a hitch. Having purchased a “ticket” via the Dice app, fans were sent a streaming link and access code fifteen minutes before the start time. It’s arguably more accessible too - if we weren’t in lockdown, there would have been a battle for access to the 900-capacity venue, but with a minute to go until Marling took to the stage, over 2,000 people were watching (and had ample time to stock up at the bar first).

The set is the same one she planned to play on tour this summer and the gig started almost exactly at 8pm with the Opening Suite from Once I Was An Eagle - not so much a warm-up but a dive straight in.

It’s immediately clear from this slick show that this is a step-up from the DIY set-ups we’ve seen in recent months; the venue, lighting, staging and camera work made it feel like a “real” gig.

Empty: The chapel's pews sat vacant as Marling took to the stage (Joel Ryan )
Joel Ryan

Fortune kicked off a quartet of songs from Song For Our Daughter, Marling’s sturdy gaze breaking during the emotional final verse - an expression so subtle you’d never catch it without the camera.

Her vocals effortlessly soared through End of the Affair, her impeccable delivery of the line “I love you, goodbye” powerful enough to leave a lump in the throat.

Getting comfortable with the camera circling, Marling stole a glimpse straight into it during the record’s title track - the first of few indications that she even knew we were there.

Typically calm and collected, she paused briefly between tracks but (thankfully) never attempted any banter, allowing you to instead immerse yourself in the hour-long set and almost forget about the pandemic entirely.

Union Chapel doesn’t need an audience to be a magical venue, just as Marling evidently doesn’t need one to deliver an impeccable, rousing performance.

The set-up also highlighted aspects of Marling’s talents that are easy to miss from within a bustling crowd, leaving you with a renewed appreciation for her featherweight guitar strumming, delicate pauses and occasional playful intonations.

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Goodbye Old England hit a little differently in the current circumstances, before the one (teeny) technical hitch during Held Down, as Marling seamlessly tuned her guitar midtrack.

The set ended as quietly as it started, as Marling closed on Once, set down her guitar and left, without so much as a goodbye.

There’s an unavoidably bittersweetness to this whole thing. Right now Marling should be halfway through a UK tour, giving the new tracks their debut before the album’s scheduled August release (we are forever indebted to her for bringing it forward by four months).

Raucous rockers and popstars with elaborate visuals simply couldn’t pull this off. But for now, from the sofa, this was certainly something to be grateful for.

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