Suzanne Vega's

From New York City, Suzanne Vega has always exuded an alternative spirit, often subtly channeling Bob Dylan, and sometimes more overtly putting that spirit into song, as in her 1986 single 'Left of Center'. Tonight, at the Bristol Beacon, we get both – an admission that, yes, that love of Dylan has always been real, plus a reworked rendition of the live favourite.

But before that there’s the brand-new ‘Speakers’ Corner,’ which must be Vega’s most unambiguous protest song to date – a forceful plea, even in the face of raving maniacs, to protect free speech for all. It’s one of five tracks we get this evening from the critically acclaimed new album 'Flying With Angels'.

Suzanne Vega does not get to Bristol often, but thankfully she was able to come to the city for a sold-out show at the Beacon, formerly Colston Hall. Wearing a trademark black top hat she launched into an excellent version of 'Marlene on the Wall' with her long-time musical accomplice, guitarist Gerry Leonard and later, cellist Stephanie Winters, Leonard’s electric lines raising the necessary spectral vibes of Vega’s voice and lyrics.

It is the perfect opening song to set the stage for what was about to come. This flowed nicely into “99.9F°”. “Are you guys centigrade or Fahrenheit?” she asked the crowd before she started the song. She did a stripped-down version of the song, and it worked perfectly.

And all the songs she chose worked. Vega has a great deal of folk music in her roots, and this transcribes well into a sparser presentation. Her voice is perfect and she has never sounded better. “The Queen And The Soldier” was an astounding moment in the show, and Vega’s vocal’s control was outstanding. She was able to switch gears and deliver the more rock-oriented music as well, such as 'I Never Wear White', and the jazz overtones to a song such as 'Caramel'.

The tracks from her latest album fitted seamlessly into the set. So, well-known songs such as ‘Gypsy’ ‘Small Blue Thing’, ‘Some Journey’, and the inevitable ‘Luka’ blended beautifully with songs such as ‘Flying With Angels’, ‘Speaker’s Corner’ and ‘Chambermaid’.

Vega told great stories and demonstrated a great deal of humour throughout the night.

Classics ‘Luka’ and ‘Tom’s Diner’ - the former a spine-tingling performance of a powerful and haunting song – came before the encore. Gerry Leonard creates a kaleidoscope of sound and is supported with some haunting playing by Stephanie Winters on cello.

The encore opens with a further echo of Vega’s alternative New York roots – a cover of her friend Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’, and finally the set closes with two further songs from the new album, ‘Alley’ and ‘Galway’, the strength of these proving that Vega remains relevant and never afraid to challenge her audiences, whether that’s musically or politically. A genius undimmed.