Jo Quail, Dead Space Chamber Music – 11th May 2023, Colchester Arts Centre

When you walk into Colchester Arts Centre and see the beautiful stained glass window at the back of the stage you just know the evening’s music is going to have a real atmosphere to it. It’s a seated show but it’s pretty busy for a mid-week gig and perhaps not the audience that you’d expect for a headline cellist but Jo Quail has been playing an eclectic mix of festivals and gigs over the years and her dark, looping, style of performance has certainly won her a lot of fans in the heavier experimental music scenes.

Opening the night is Dead Space Chamber Music, performing as a duo (although I understand they often play as a four piece) utilising loops, guitar, vocals and a fine array of percussive instruments. They create dark sounding pieces which create a incredible atmosphere in the room; so engrossed in the music the audience don’t seem to know when to clap, the silence between songs feels like an important part of the set. It’s quite an out there sound, even with the loops the songs have an unpredictable nature to them, thanks in part to the interesting vocal style and the variety of sounds the duo create. I’d be really interested to see them as a four piece but, none-the-less, this was a fascinating set.

After a short break the electric cello takes centre stage ready for Jo Quail to take to the stage. There are some interesting metal sculptures flanking her, apparently made for the show by a friend and metalworker. Jo Quail creates such a dark, haunting, sound for someone that, between songs, sounds quite upbeat! The soundscapes created by the cello running through various effects are incredible and the way the loops are created is truly world class. I spend half the set in absolute awe of the cello playing too; the acoustic section in the middle is just incredible – there’s a section where the left hand appears to be playing harmonised notes while also plucking another string at a regular rhythm. It’s fascinating and it sounds incredible.

I’ve caught Jo Quail before at a festival but getting to see her perform in this context, with the stained glass window behind and the arts centre’s incredible acoustics at play, is just a real treat. It was great to hear a bit about each of the songs too, the stories behind them, the way songs have evolved over time.