Buffy Sainte-Marie at The Sage, Gateshead

I travelled to the town of Belleville in Ontario five years ago to see Buffy Sainte-Marie play live - my first experience of Buffy - and then, two years ago, went to New York to see her. Last year I saw Buffy's first London gig in 17 years at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. So, when I heard that Buffy was going to play The Sage concert hall in Gateshead, a mere ten miles or so from where I grew up and used to listen to her records in my bedroom as a teenager, I decided that a couple of days off work and a few hundred miles by train were well worth it. Chris, as ever, was charged with keeping me from exploding with excitement as we booked into the Hilton next door to The Sage. My little brother and my sister-in-law came round for a drink before the show and then we walked out into the freezing breeze to get to The Sage.

We were sitting in the middle of row F with a perfect view of the stage, a grand piano to the left, drums to the centre, keyboard just off-centre with two guitars standing centre-stage. On came the three-piece band (a new band), drummer, bass and guitar, followed by Buffy confidently striding centre-stage and slinging her guitar. Dressed in black velvet (or velvet-looking) trousers and mini-dress with a sparkly jacket, feathers and beads, looking fit and healthy and raring to go with a great big smile. I never dreamt, 35 years ago when I was sitting in my bedroom, that I'd be seeing Buffy Sainte-Marie a mere bus ride from my parents' old house.

Buffy picked up a guitar and opened with 'Piney Wood Hills' before running through (not in order):

No No Keshagesh
Fallen Angels
Cho Cho Fire
Blue Sunday
Cripple Creek
Relocation Blues
He's An Indian Cowboy At The Rodeo
Still This Loves Goes On
Until It's Time For You To Go
Soldier Blue
Universal Soldier
Up Where We Belong
Little Wheel Spin And Spin
Priests Of the Golden Bull
Darling Don't Cry
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
Starwalker
Goodnight

Much as I love seeing and hearing Buffy singing her great songs from the last 45 years, it's hearing her talk about them that adds that extra thrill and extra layer to the experience, and Buffy talked about all her songs. She talked about loving Elvis and the rockabilly stars like Lonnie Donegan before launching into 'Blue Sunday' and talked about Joan Baez and her 400 year old Welsh folk songs while saying she sang them as well but had only written them a couple of weeks earlier, before admitting that she'd written 'Until It's Time For You To Go' (which I still think is one of the most mature and realistic love songs ever) after so many people had recorded it. Buffy spoke about touring the UK in the '60s and meeting people like Martin Carthy (who I'm seeing on Sunday this week as part of The Imagined Village) and having lots of time to learn new songs.

Buffy rightly guessed that we, in the North East of England, didn't have a lot of experience of the pow wow trail across the USA and Canadian borders, but we still loved 'Darling Don't Cry'. We had a heavy pow wow closure with 'Bury My Heart' and finishing with 'Starwalker' (dedicated to all generations, past and future) which has to be the best version of the song I've heard Buffy play. The band were fully engrossed in the pow wow singing, Buffy leading them every step with a belief in the song that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - a tremendous performance that led to a standing ovation. Wow!

And then the band came on for a final bow before just Buffy with the bass player stayed on stage for the encore of 'Goodnight', Buffy's traditional encore from 'Coincidence'. And then outside to see where Buffy would do the traditional meet'n'greet for the faithful and we joined the queue to meet Buffy.

I'm a bit rubbish as a stalker. When it came to my turn to meet Buffy, I said hello, presented the photo from the QE Hall last year for signing and moved on quickly to the band to say how much I'd enjoyed the show. I have this stupid idea that I only have a moment with the star of the show and must move on because there are other people behind me that want to meet her. Chris was a bit more leisurely, chatting to Buffy, and found out that she wanted my email address so she could comment on my blog (which she reads - yes, she reads this). So, after quizzing Chris, I joined the end of the queue again to give Buffy my email address and have my photo taken with her. *Blush*. I really ought to learn to be more assertive. I'd not only seen but had met Buffy - again - and I was happy.

Of course, I'm seeing Buffy again on Saturday night at Shepherd's Bush Empire so I have another opportunity to have a favourite performance and, maybe, take some better photos. Watch this space.