Lissie stays true to herself by choosing to open her 2016 in Oxford, which was great for us!

Lissie's new album, The Wild West, contains songs about her 7 years living in California and seems a bit more soul searching than her previous albums. The set list included a good mix of brand new songs and some of the good old favourites (although I missed 'The Record Collector', my personal fave). Initially you could tell that it was the opening night. Some nerves were on display and Lissie seemed a bit 'stiffer' than normal. Fortunately (?) there was some technical mishap which ended up with her singing 'Mississippi' without a mike, just her guitar. You could have heard a needle drop. It was mesmerizing - and probably the best of the night. After that little technical mishap, she and the band seemed to relax and began to enjoy themselves more. Turns out they'd only been rehearsing since Wednesday!

I love Lissie's albums, but seeing her live is where she comes into her element. This was my third time seeing her in Oxford - and I'd go again in a split second. Definitely a good night out!

As an aside, The Travelling Band were really good as well. A bit 'folky' with a touch of Mumford & Sons about them. Think they will gain some new fans through this tour - and deservedly so.