On arrival at the Grand Eagle Hotel I am swiftly greeted by my hosts for the evening – Mr and Mrs Undine. Feeling a little overwhelmed, having never attended a Secret Cinema event, I look around to see an array of people clad in tuxedos, flapper dresses and feathery head-bands, all looking as confused as I feel. However, a visit to the Old Beast Bar soon sorts me out as I’m recommended to pay a visit to the landing…
And it seems I managed to get my drink just in time. Positioned on the landing is the main lady herself, accompanying Ed Berman in an enchanting cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’. Appearing ethereal in a white smock, Marling sounds as angelic as she looks, and this intimate impromptu performance on the landing is entirely captivating and beautiful. As swiftly and unexpectedly as she appeared, the spellbinding singer disappears like an apparition from the past, and I am left to explore The Grand Eagle Hotel and all its eccentricities.
As I wander around the bewitching setting, I encounter rooms filled with love letters, hidden staircases leading to attics filled with mating doves (in relation to the lyrics ‘When we were in love, I was an eagle and you were a dove’, I suppose, but really – I can see mating pigeons whenever I look out of my window), an elegant billiards room, an old chapel in which a tortured French Soul takes it upon himself to start singing, and lots of smartly dressed guests meandering around, full of anticipation and uncertainty as to what’s going on… However, at about 9.15pm, there is a commotion and our host informs us that we are to make our way to the ballroom…
As I descend the staircase, I spot an exceedingly tall, gangly figure with thick-framed glasses and trendily unkempt hair propped up against the bannister; I instantly recognise him as the consistently distinguishable Pulp frontman – Mr Jarvis Cocker. After my initial shock and the realisation that I appear to have stopped still in the middle of the stairs and am pointing at one of the most famous faces of the British music scene, I come up with a plan. As part of the ‘Secret Cinema’ theme, guests were asked to bring a ‘gift for a stranger’… Having been holding on to my carefully wrapped Sweet William seeds all night, I have now found the perfect recipient for my, rather odd, gift: “Hello, would you like a present?” I apprehensively ask Mr Cocker, holding out a tiny parcel tied with yellow ribbon. He politely accepts and thanks me and, just as I turn away, feeling exhilarated whilst a little embarrassed, I hear that deep soothing Sheffield whirr say something else: “Well, I better give you something in return then. That’s what you do, isn’t it?” At that moment, Jarvis (I feel we’re definitely on first name terms by this point…) reaches into the pocket of his tuxedo and pulls out a red kazoo. What happens next is all a bit of a blur; Jarvis Cocker has just given me a kazoo. Having been a fan of Pulp from a very young age, and now an avid listener of BBC 6Music, this is a pretty exciting thing to happen to me. Along with a brief, glasses swapping, encounter with Richard Hawley at his bar in Sheffield many years ago, this may well come close to topping my list of ‘best meetings with cool rockstars’.
Ecstatic and overwhelmed (and equipped with a kazoo), I make my way to the ballroom for the main event. Waiting on stage is a string quartet, setting the tone, soon to be joined by the saintly presence of Ms Marling. She opens the set with an amalgamation of the first few tracks of her new album ‘Once I was an Eagle’, and I am once again blown away and fascinated by the power that oozes from this delicate figure. With simply a strum of her guitar, or a flick of her translucent hair, Marling seems to have the ability to captivate entire crowds instantly.
The bearded double bassist and co leave Laura alone with her guitar for the remainder of the set, and we are treated to an array of beautiful songs, predominantly from her latest album. Marling’s impassioned songs of past loves are sung with conviction, and it is impossible not to get lost amongst the flurry of feelings that flow from this talented and emotive musician. The theme of fragile naivety, intertwined with the regret and wisdom that comes with age, seems evident in each of the songs, and Marling – at the ripe old age of 23 – offers them to us with sincerity.
It seems hard to believe that the raw emotion and bitterness that are palpable in tracks such as ‘Once’ and ‘Master Hunter’ can be felt by someone so young, but that seems to make them all the more powerful. However old, or young, she may be, I find it all too easy to lost myself in Laura Marling’s splendour and seek solace in the sentiment of her lyrics. With innocent charm, along with an underlying angst, Marling succeeds in entrancing each and every guest at The Grand Eagle Hotel and – with exquisite, crystal clear vocals and complex, folky guitar riffs – I find the entire set flawless. Marling sounds just as immaculate and sparkling as she looks in her angelic white robes.
A pretty surreal evening: I experienced the company of an angel, as well as – the rather other worldly – Jarvis Cocker. (I just hope he likes gardening…)
Mari Lane
@marimindles
