Tia Mcgraff

Tia and Tommy took centre stage and I think it is safe to say they had the audience at hello, or at the very least, at the opening song, Reckonin'. All present were spellbound as we were taken on a journey through Tia's music; her current, first round Grammy nominated CD, CRAZY BEAUTIFUL, went down a storm, with beautifully written, memorable, thought provoking songs, such as The Fire, the Patty Griffin - sequel, The One I've Waited For, the anti adversity Movin' The Smoke Away and the title song, originally inspired by the true story of a skier, but in essence a reminder for us all.

Tia McGraff performs "Conductor For A Day" live at Old Low Light Heritage, North Shields, on 12 May 2016. With Thanks & video credits Catherine Hardwick
CatwitchCreative

Dipping into her earlier releases, we were treated to stunning renditions of Love Lies Bleeding, Tumbleweed and the song penned with recent UK visitor, James House, It Can't Rain Everyday. Conductor For A Day, is the beautiful story of an experience her dad had and perfectly captures the moments, people and memories that leave a mark upon us, however fleeting they may be. Two Wolves is derived from a Native Indian legend and was a definite hit, whilst Radical Road perfectly showed off Tia' s fun side.

Tia McGraff performs "Love-Lies-Bleeding" live at Old Low Light Heritage, North Shields, on 12 May 2016. With Thanks & video credits Catherine Hardwick
CatwitchCreative

A sing along was incited for Johnny Cash's Ring Of Fire, Tommy requesting that we all be the horn section. Everyone was so involved it sounded like there was three times the number of people in the room. Pure joy filled the room, as everyone came together to share the experience. Magic.

Tia hails from a small fishing town in Canada and the similarities with the little town she was in certainly weren't lost on her. She was aware she was standing yards from the Black Middens where numerous ships were wrecked. Talking about fishing and what it means to a small town, there was an instant sense that despite being from three thousand miles away, her life had connected with ours over shared stories. As such, she treated us to the beautiful Fisherman's Song, which despite being written about fishermen on Lake Erie, made total sense to us raised on the banks of the River Tyne. Abigail made another remarkable connection, between their heroine, Abigail Becker and ours, Grace Darling, both of whom bravely rescued shipwrecked sailors. The fun drinking song, Whiskey Ship, prompted another joyful sing along, as did the evening's finale, the Cajun tinged Catfish Deacon.

What is obvious is that Tia's sound covers everything. She isn't just a singer songwriter, she is so much more; a storyteller who gets right to the heart of what really matters and of human experience. She effortlessly blurs the boundaries between country, spiritual, folk, rock and blues; all delivered with a beautiful soulful voice, that somehow just makes the world feel right.

The whole set was peppered with jokes and banter, between Tia and Tommy and between them and the audience. Their warm personalities shone throughout their set. Never was this more obvious than in the number of people keen to come to chat to her afterwards.

Sometimes at a gig, everything just comes together perfectly, almost as if the stars are aligned. Tonight was one of the best examples of this I have ever had the pleasure to experience. Such nights bring home what live music is about and why I love it so much. An escape, stories, a shared experience, everyone in a room connected by music and the memories being made. I only hope those memories are as special for Tia and Tommy as they are for all of us lucky enough to be there. Memories which can transcend 3000 miles from one little fishing town to another, and perhaps, a lifelong connection between two places.

Helen Mitchell