The North East has long produced its share of troubadours, and Jez Lowe sits comfortably among the very best of them. A songwriter’s songwriter, he has spent decades marrying wit, politics, and melody into songs that feel both timeless and fiercely of the moment. Tonight, in the intimate setting of the Ukrainian Community Centre, he reminded everyone exactly why he’s held in such regard.

There’s something in the Lowe name. While not related to his more famous musical cousin Nick, Jez shares that same knack for wrapping sharp observations in deceptively simple song structures. His gift lies in the detail: lyrics that sneak up with humour, only to leave you winded with the truth.

The setlist was a finely balanced mix of old favourites, playful turns, and powerful new material. Free Bodies Wake and Old Man’s Eyes opened with a contemplative weight, before the new title album track Oubliette and the Bad Pennies throwback Latch Key Lover loosened the room with nostalgia and knowing smiles.

The most striking moment of the night came with a new song, Hardanger Engel. Stark, economical, and devastating in its understatement, it tells of a migrant child’s body washed ashore after a sinking in the Channel. Stripped of sentimentality, its quiet dignity brought a hush over the room—one of those rare performances that will linger long after the applause fades.

Light returned with the charming Message From a Mandolin, while The Frozen Roman proved to be an unexpected delight—wry, funny, and delivered with Lowe’s signature twinkle. And then came the closer: Barry and the Anthracites, a rollicking, tongue-in-cheek finale that had the audience clapping along, laughing at the sly wordplay, and spilling out into the night with grins intact.

Jez Lowe remains on fine form—funny, biting, and deeply moving, often within the span of a single song. A night that proved once again that the North East’s finest voice hasn’t lost an ounce of its fire, nor his ability to make a small room feel like the centre of the world.

****

Reviewed by Steve H

Venue Ukrainian Community Centre

Time 10.30

Until 17th Aug