Widely regarded as the Queen of the Slide Guitar, Finnish virtuoso Erja Lyytinen made a pit stop in Darlington on Monday evening during a UK run to promote her new live album.
A household name in her native Finland, Erja Lyytinen has shared stages with Carlos Santana and Michael Jackson guitarist Jennifer Batten, and performed in her hometown of Helsinki for 80,000 people.
The esteemed artist was a finalist on the Finnish incarnation of The Masked Singer and Dancing with the Stars.
Queen of the Slide Guitar Erja Lyytinen delivers an intimate solo blues set at Darlington’s Angels Cut (Image: Adam Kennedy)
In 2020, the High Flying Finn was voted number 2 by Total Guitar magazine in their "Top 10 Best Players Right Now" poll.
And whilst the artist frequently performs in front of thousands of fans around the world, on Monday evening she chose Darlington’s own grassroots music venue Angels Cut Bar and Bottle Shop to host a rare and incredibly intimate solo performance.
Erja Lyytinen has only performed solo in the UK once previously.
Queen of the Slide Guitar Erja Lyytinen delivers an intimate solo blues set at Darlington’s Angels Cut (Image: Adam Kennedy)
But when a gap in the artist’s touring itinerary arose between a date in Edinburgh on Sunday evening and a show in Sheffield on Tuesday night, Erja chose Darlington as the perfect locale to route her tour through.
Fans from around the country and beyond flocked to the Darlington venue to witness this up-close and personal encounter with one of the world’s greatest guitarists.
Having given her band the night off, it allowed the legendary performer the opportunity to give her fans a very different show from what they might be accustomed to from her previous gigs.
Queen of the Slide Guitar Erja Lyytinen delivers an intimate solo blues set at Darlington’s Angels Cut (Image: Adam Kennedy)
Erja delivered a set that featured old favourites and rarities, covers of some of her favourite artists, standards from blues greats such as Elmore James and Muddy Waters, as well as a taste of the sounds of her native Finland.
The full house in attendance at Angels Cut loved every moment of the artist’s 90-minute set and clapped along wholeheartedly throughout.
Erja brought the night to a close with a spellbinding airing of Hallelujah.
Erja’s intimate performance in Darlington was nothing short of majestic.
Queen of the Slide Guitar Erja Lyytinen delivers an intimate solo blues set at Darlington’s Angels Cut (Image: Adam Kennedy)