When people generally think of country singers then the general perception is that they are  all Garth Brooks and Billy Ray Syrus, line clumping thigh slapping yahoo loving yacks, or Lianne Rhymes style of fake heartstrings twinging. You know the sort of artists who are so emotionally sterile that they could only have been created by generic reproductions from a sperm samples in a petry dish, like Miley Cyrus.

Well chumps someone I am writing about right now is what I call a propper country singer, and someone I feel could be a potential star of the contemporary country music scene, so ladies and gentleman I give you Lindi Ortega

Straight off I am going to admit with my hand on my heart, that I am an absolute sucker for what I call propper female country singers. so this might come across like me drooling like a male groupie, which is probably not the image you want stuck in your head. but there are certain notes which some singers are able to hold just reduce to me tears.

My good friend Mr Gaz Brookfield was supporting Lindi at a place called st Bonaventures, which was one of a few venues I had never been to before, partly because its all the way across the other side of Bristol from where I live and usually not having enough money for the entry fee. So the offer of a cheap ticket from Mr Brookfield was more then tempting.

All of you will know that I just cant resist live music, I mean we are pretty much married together. If it was a real marriage then it would be one mass open marriage or someone with multiple personality disorder.

If you havent been to St Bonaventures before, it is an old working mans community club. it has all the vanier of an old pub feel, with carpeted wooden decking. the pefect seting for tonights gig. as the acoustics seemed to reverberate around the room.

Lindi Ortega is a Canadian borne singer songwriter that was pretty much adopted by the music of the Southern states of America, especially Nashvile Tennesee. As her voice sounded like an off shot of Dolly Parton, Emylou  Harris and june carter Cash rolled into one.

There were songs of heart break, alcoholism, love, romance, loneliness and break up. You know the usual sort of things that a song writer tends to cover with almost a cooing vanier. her vocal dynamics were at times running into real heart rendering  volume. 

So it was like as if she was singing with a real full hardy feel, as she kept her songs short and too the point, without loosing the necessary detail of the story.  she introduced each song by explaining the narrative behind them. like watch she had been going through, so whether it be tragic circumstances or points of pure joy.

standing on her own with acoustic guitar in hand that she was strumming hard, she had the kind of presence that would endear even the most full hardy of people, with black 50s styled curls piercing eyes. There were times through out the night I could feel myself, flinching, trying to stop my self from pouring tears out of my eyes.

Talking about trying to make a name for herself in the music industry and dealing with A&R men, you know the smarmy types that butter peoples egos for a quick buck and being turned down because they are not being legendary. probably one of the most comical excuses anyone has made about completely neglecting an artist. still she got a song out of it.

I mean for me this is country music, so it may not make it onto the Academy Country Music awards, or get people doing line dance routines. It has to much Soul for that and a pop sensibility without getting Yeehaa silly. In fact her latest single Black Fly sounds like the sort of thing the Pierces would quite happily throw together or Alison Moorer styled voice. All in all pretty lovely