BY MICHAEL CHOWNE
On Wednesday 14th October 2026, Savannah Gardner & The Recovering Good Girls gave us an exhilarating show for the ages at The Water Rats, near King’s Cross, an iconic venue where the likes of Oasis and Bob Dylan have trod the boards before them.
Attending a Savannah gig is quite like no other – she is a show-woman with an entertainer’s heart and soul and watching a Savannah Gardner show is like a journey through the wanderings of a quite brilliant storyteller’s mind. Add to that the superb musicianship of Riley Hare (bass guitar), Carmen Ruiz Vicente (vocals, drums, acoustic guitar), Dr Duncan Menzies (fiddle & banjo!) and Holly Carter (pedal steel & electric guitar) and you can see why this was such a winner.
For this 150 cap sell-out, there was no support as Savannah told us she wanted to incorporate new songs as well as old resulting in two 45 minute (maybe a little more) sets. 22 songs of almost all original music, including all 9 songs from Savannah’s debut ‘Recovering Good Girl’ album released just over 2 years ago, inexplicably the same day we lost Savannah’s mom, Michelle, far too soon.
Savannah has since dedicated herself to honouring her mom’s memory and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house for the beautifully poignant ‘This Pain Is Love’.
Savannah wanted this to be a celebration though and celebrate we did. ‘CIty of Cowboys’ had the loudest crowd response I’ve ever heard it get, along with ‘Heaven Is A Feeling’, whilst the crowd joined in to the full on the callback parts of ‘Lyin’, Cheatin’, Stealin’, encouraged by Riley’s husband, Tommy Hare, who joined the stage for that one. The one cover of the evening came at the start of the second set when Luke Jack Music joined Savannah and Duncan for their Dolly Parton tribute ‘Mule Skinner Blues’. A very new song, ‘Entirely Yours’ was dedicated by Savannah to her husband as she joined forces with Carmen and Duncan for a very special acapella version of a song I’ve only heard Savannah sing solo with acoustic guitar before. Of course there were the honky tonk numbers and an encore to end all encores with a rousing ‘Born In The Wrong Generation’, complete with it’s traditional Bruce Springsteen top and tail.
Take it from one who knows a thing or two about London gigs, this one was a bit special! Thanks go to Green Note, strong supporters of Savannah, for presenting it (albeit at a different venue).
8 years ago a young American came to London in search of her people – last night it was those people who paid homage to their Queen of Country as she dazzled them on stage. Gush all you like, Savannah, you’ve deserved it!
SETLIST:-
SET ONE
1) Recovering Good Girl
2) Double Dealer
3) Lone Rider
4) Wildfire
5) Cowboys of Carrizo
6) Wayward Wind
7) I Left You Behind
8) This Pain Is Love
9) Entirely Yours
10) City of Cowboys
11) My Hot Pursuit
SET TWO
1) Mule Skinner Blues
2) Home Again
3) Makin’ Honey
4) Grim Reaper
5) Lyin’, Cheatin’, Stealin’
6) Deep Blue Sea
7) Heaven Is A Feeling
8) Tomorrow I’ll Be Free
9) High Desert Memory
10) Heartbreak River
11) Born In The Wrong Generation
