Ernest Aines Gig Review: All Hallows Church, Allerton, 6/6/25
All Hallows C of E Church is a hidden gem in the suburb of Allerton just outside of Liverpool city centre; nestled in between semi detached houses and surrounded by a moat of greenery. It’s also where Melbourne folk singer-songwriter Ernest Aines has returned after a short period of four months, to a sold out show; in anticipation of his upcoming album, and following the release of his recently released single, “Just Once”.
I arrived around ten minutes after the huge, ornate wooden doors opened and chose a pew to sit in. My first glance at the venue confirmed that this certainly would be unlike any concert I’d attended before; it took a while to take in the sight of beautiful glass windows, the magnificent high ceiling and the detailed sculptures and tapestries which surrounded me. The stunning visual feat was accompanied by a soundtrack of contemporary folk artists from a nearby speaker, including familiar favourites like Jessica Pratt and Diane Cluck.
It was then time for the support act, Maddie Lara, to take to the stage (or rather, the altar). She adjusted her microphone and began, gently plucking an acoustic guitar. Her voice was sweet, ethereal and softly echoed through the church, transfixing the audience into a kind of respectful quiet I’ve never experienced before at a live performance. She ended the song with a quick thanks and a warm smile. Her next song, she said, was inspired by the maroon tree at her mum and grandad’s house. Every song was somewhat nature focused, with repetitive and entrancing lyrics that took you into the introspective world she produced. She ended her set with “By the Riverside”, a charming, dreamy and authentic folk song which I will certainly be returning to.
A small interlude succeeded, and Ernest stepped to the front of the stage. People returned to their seats, he greeted us, and began. The first thing I thought when he started to pluck his electric guitar was simply: “how?”. The speed and agility with which he applied his hands to the instrument was almost perplexing – granted, coming from someone who can only play about 5 songs on the guitar- and was amazing to watch firsthand.
His next song, “Pixels”, involved some audience participation requested by Ernest, as he asked us to sing the chorus with him. The lyrics echoed what perhaps some of the audience members were feeling: “When you sing / It makes me want to sing”.
A first attempt at the chorus was more tentative from the audience but they soon became accustomed to it, creating a smooth choral tone which reverberated through the church pews like a warm blanket. Ernest was impressed, claiming that- in spite of his bias towards Liverpool- it was the best attempt he had heard yet.
Particular highlights of Ernest’s set included “Already Found”, a song written for his best friend; and, of course, the bluesy and brooding “Yellowstone”- which he alleged may or may not be appearing in the popular TV show of the same name.
He preceded each song with an explanation, allowing the audience to live almost vicariously through his described experiences. In spite of this, it was still thoroughly clear that some songs were more universally felt: the bitterly sad “Rigged Games” really emphasised this, with its heart wrenching and deeply felt lyrics accompanied with Ernest’s smooth, pained vocals which seemed to melt into the surrounding space. A powerful force of emotion was felt around the entire church, and left a few people in the audience wiping away tears as it came to an end.
Coming towards the end of his set, he appeared very obliged to grace us with more songs, as he asked the audience for song requests.“Seasons” was the first immediate request, which he explained was about a time where he “forgot what life was”. I had never heard this song prior, but after such a tender and evocative performance, it solidified itself as my favourite. Its repetitive, emotional and ballad-like chorus remained solidly within a folkish space through the fingerstyle plucking of his acoustic guitar (which he interchanged between electric throughout his set) and was truly masterful.
The final request of the night was one which he claimed he hadn’t played live in four years: “Lady in Waiting”, which appears on his 2023 album ‘Spiral Bound’. Hesitating slightly as he recollected the chords, he jumped straight in. “Lady in Waiting” was an incredibly charming song, with whimsical lyrics and more of a playful sincerity as he swept us away with him into his imaginative allegorical space.
Ernest ended his set sustaining a charming and humble demeanour, as he asked people to applaud once again for the staff who had helped out and for support artist Maddie Lara. He clearly had time for his fans, urging them to wait at the back of the church for him.
I walked out of All Hallows Church positively in a daze. Though the weather outside was bleak, I left feeling strangely uplifted – reaffirming for me the quiet, restorative power of live folk music.
Review by: Amelie Griffiths
Images credit: Amelie Griffiths
Follow Amelie on Instagram: ameliemaya_21
