Vashti Bunyan live review: an emotional celebration of an underrated genius
When I stumbled upon Vashti Bunyan’s album Just Another Diamond Day a few years ago, I formed an instant attachment to it. The gentleness of Bunyan’s voice felt like the ultimate source of comfort, and the use of tender acoustic guitars, strings, recorders and fiddle transported me to a word of pastoral wonder. Whenever I listen to that album, the pressures of the modern internet age seem to float away, with the importance of love, nature and treading your own path prevailing.
Bunyan’s story has always inspired me, which I devoured in her memoir, Wayward: Just Another Life to Live. Back in the ‘60s, Bunyan worked with Andrew Loog Oldham, attempting to become a pop singer, but she failed to achieve much success. She abandoned this quest for mainstream popularity and instead began a journey to the Isle of Skye, where Donovan was setting up a commune. Travelling via horse and cart with her boyfriend, Robert Lewis, Bunyan wrote songs on the road, eventually recording them for an album, which became the folk classic Just Another Diamond Day.
Bunyan and Lewis rejected conformity and carried on their journey despite people frowning at their unconventional lifestyle. Sadly, Bunyan’s album failed to receive much of an audience, and she subsequently ditched any more attempts at making music for years, believing she’d failed. However, the power of the internet – an invention that seems at odds with Bunyan’s musical sound – helped the record find new listeners, and it was reissued in 2000.
Since then, she’s released two more albums, Lookaftering and Heartleap, while also collaborating with artists such as Devendra Banhart and Animal Collective. Bunyan has become a cult folk favourite, playing live shows once in a blue moon. Thus, when I found out she was playing a show at The Roundhouse in London, I actually teared up a little. I was in disbelief that I would be witnessing Bunyan in the flesh and hearing her sing some of my favourite songs of all time.
The two-hour train journey down to London was rough, with people having to line up down the aisles and cram themselves into the bike storage spaces. It was hardly a relaxed start to the morning, but nothing could deter me from envisioning the night ahead as one of the most magical, perfect experiences of my life. When The Roundhouse was finally in sight, I felt giddy, humming Bunyan’s ‘Love You Now’ under my breath as I got closer and closer.
My romantic and idealistic hopes for the evening were soon realised. As soon as Bunyan appeared from behind the black curtains, and people began cheering and clapping, tears started to fill my eyes as a wash of emotion seemed to engulf me. It was surreal to realise that I was actually sitting in the presence of a woman whose music has soundtracked so much over the past few years of my life and to whom I’ve always felt a secret connection. When I read her book, I saw a lot of myself reflected in her introverted and quietly determined nature. She has influenced me to become less afraid and always live on my own terms, inspiring a sense of courage that I’ve always felt was slightly lacking within me.
Looking around the crowd, it felt strange to be surrounded by people who also loved Bunyan and her songs. Although she’s hardly unknown, whenever I listen to her music, I feel like the only person in the world lucky enough to have access to these special songs. Yet, it was also such a terrific, warm feeling – knowing that many people here were perhaps a little like me, also able to relate to Bunyan’s way of looking at and experiencing life. In the queue for the toilets, several girls wearing similar outfits to me gave me a knowing look, as though, without having to say anything, we were the same type of person – not just in dress and taste.
Bunyan played ‘I’d Like To Walk Around In Your Mind’ first, one of her most well-known songs, and my lip instantly started quivering as I tried hard not to cry. Then she played ‘Diamond Day’, another one of my favourites, before performing ‘Hidden’, ‘Train Song’ and ‘Winter is Blue’ – all of which feel deeply personal to me. Every time she introduced the next song, all I could hope was for the tears to keep at bay. Bunyan gave a little backstory before performing each and every piece, making the set feel so incredibly intimate. The whole crowd was clearly transfixed, and she received two standing ovations after playing 20 tracks.
Bunyan is a rare talent who possesses the ability to turn every song she writes into a powerful and transcendent moment that goes beyond simply existing as a piece of music. Her accompanying musicians helped her to create a stunning atmosphere which had the entirety of The Roundhouse in total awe. When Bunyan was playing, you could practically hear a pin drop. This wasn’t just your average gig; it was a collective celebration of a woman who deserves recognition as one of England’s most profound and gifted songwriters.
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