PJ Harvey & John Parish, Tom Brosseau - Brighton Corn Exchange April 16th

The last time PJ Harvey graced Brighton it was next door at the Dome during her Uh Huh Her tour and she was in full rock mode with high heels and a guitar. Tonight the mood is different , much more grown up and almost civilised..almost. Teaming up with her long time collaborator and friend John Parish, the band surrounding them are like something from a long time back. The guys are dressed in suits and pork pie hats and Harvey is barefoot in an elegant black dress. She looks really at home with this setup, as I suppose you would do sharing the stage with someone you’d known all through adulthood. She’s a woman of many voices and tonight, not being held down by guitar or piano -  just the occasional tambourine or maraca - she seems freer to play the parts of the people in her songs. Some of the personas are just plain deranged, particularly during ‘Pig Will Not’ where she stamps and screams like a small child. Or 'April', where she holds her nose and sounds like a Dalek. These are contrasted with minimal and calm songs like ‘The Soldier’ accompanied by Parish on ukulele it’s sweet, innocent and sombre.  John Parish is charming and seems to be equally amused by Polly’s on-stage antics . It’s not until the encore ‘False Fire’ which apparently he had to be persuaded to play that I realised just what a talent he is, and how much what he does, fits with what she does. The best moment of the night -  and any gig this year so far for me - was the rendition of ‘A Woman a Man Walked By\The Crow Knows Where All the Little Children Go’.  This is where the sense of humour comes through and nobody can say she hasn’t got one of those. I’d love to know which person with “lily livered little parts“ this song was written about, they must feel suitably silly. Not to forget Tom Brosseau who had the support slot. He is a spellbinding singer and American troubadour who is definitely worth seeing live in a small venue. He didn’t really wow me that much at the echoey Corn Exchange, but I know how good he can be.