Fraser Anderson and Bex Baxter in perfect Harmony

Posted on 26th August 2023

Confronted by a bare stage, there was a palpable feeling of both expectation and curiosity amongst the audience at the Corn Hall, waiting for Fraser Anderson to take to the stage. I wasn’t alone in expecting a band of sorts, something Anderson seemed to sense when he took to the stage – he apologised to anyone disappointed it was only him and his acoustic guitar. He needn’t have worried. The audience quickly warmed to his superb playing, his mesmerising voice, and the haunting lyrics of his heartfelt songs.

Anderson has been described as one of music’s best kept secrets – notwithstanding praise from the likes of Bob Harris and Chuck Berry he isn’t well known – but after just a few songs it was quickly apparent that he deserved their plaudits. Whether pleading to Please Let This Go, or asking What Kind of Man, or looking for One More Day, there was an authentic rawness to his material, albeit cushioned by mellifluous vocals and mordant wit. His songs mined biographical experiences that were at times almost painfully honest.  He was joined on stage for much of the evening by his partner Bex Baxter, who not only added depth and character to his songs, but lit up the stage with the obvious chemistry the performers shared.

The pair of them promised to return with a full band, and I’m sure a marvellous evening would result, but I find it hard to imagine how this would substantially improve on the stripped back simplicity of the pair of them singing to the sound of his guitar, egged on by the intimate atmosphere of an audience pleased with itself for taking a chance on a performer they may not have heard of but were now very unlikely to forget.