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Laurence Jones

Laurence Jones

The Apex, Bury St. Edmunds

Sunday 4th February 2024

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📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

LAURENCE JONES – BURY ST.EDMUNDS – LIVE REVIEW

The British Blues scene is booming and it’s young acts like Laurence Jones that are leading the charge. Tonight finds Jones taking over The Apex in Bury St. Edmunds, a beautiful venue which with its stylish look and unique ability to mix a predominantly seated audience with a handful of standing spaces make it an ideal venue for this style of music.

SWEET CRISIS

The venue whilst intimate gives a grand feeling to the show and makes it a more elegant evening than a standard dark and packed-in venue would. Something which opening act Sweet Crisis use to their advantage as they fill the room with their iridescent blues rock sound.

The Cambridge five-piece have the audience in the palm of their collective hands as they serenade them with graceful guitar licks and stylish songs such as ‘Ain’t Got Soul’ and ‘Misty Haze’ from their debut album, ‘Tricks On My Mind’. Their set is mesmerizingly good and flashes by in an instant. Indeed by the time they finish with the title track of that album they’ve etched themselves into the consciousness of the attentive audience.

LAURENCE JONES

A short turnaround soon finds our headliner Laurence Jones and his band arriving onstage to an anticipant applause. The group jump straight in with last year’s rocking single ‘You’re Not Alone’ which instantly showcases the controlled intensity that will define the evening.

A true power trio, Jones and co are able to bring his songs to life and add even greater depth to the likes of ‘Gone Away’ and ‘In Too Deep’. The threesome give off enormous Jimi Hendrix Experience vibes throughout which materialises with a stunning cover of ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ towards the back end of the ninety minute performance.

The bulk of the set tonight is made up of recent album, ‘Bad Luck & The Blues’ which sees Jones’ virtuosic guitar work at the fore. The album is a real modern meshing of blues and rock and the songs work incredibly well live. So much so that a good old fashioned standing ovation entices Jones to deliver an encore finale of Lead Belly favourite ‘Good Morning Blues’.

As fans file out of the venue they are left to reminisce about a superb evening of the blues with two acts waving the flag of British blues music. The scene really is flourishing and it will be interesting to see where the likes of Laurence Jones take it next.

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Saint Agnes

Saint Agnes

Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich

Tuesday 30th January 2024

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📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

SAINT AGNES – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

It’s Independent Venue Week and our lifeblood of grassroots music venues are celebrating the community and experience that these rooms provide us. Our escape from the scary realities of life, the breeding ground for the next big thing, without independent music venues the whole ecosystem of the industry is broken.

It’s incredibly tough out there for these venues, it’s becoming more and more difficult to survive and that is adding to the pressures on young acts trying to prove themselves. Not all is lost though and it’s incredibly refreshing to see this show is sold out!

Tonight is exciting for a number of reasons, of course our headliners Saint Agnes are an enticing prospect as is our support act BEX, but tonight is also the first gig at this newly relocated venue.

Voodoo Daddy’s has been building its name over the past few years and has now given itself an upgrade across town. Unlike the old venue with its music room upstairs, here we head down into the basement and can see the makings for an essential stop off for new acts in Norwich!

BEX

Up first is BEX, who immediately and ferociously grabs the crowd by the horns and commands their attention. The three-piece create one hell of a noise as they conduct a valuable test on the buildings infrastructure!

Last year’s cutting debut EP ‘SCUM’ is at the heartbeat of her set tonight and the likes of ‘Filthy’, ‘Trust No One’ and ‘SPDYD4 K1NG’ truly create a primeval connection between BEX and the energetic audience. Let’s face it though, it’s hard not to let go when faced with the otherworldly force emanating from the stage.

BEX ends her set with a new single and you’d imagine that 2024 is set to be a big one for an artist with the youthful tenacity required to thrive in the current landscape.

SAINT AGNES

Another band that has been thriving of late is Saint Agnes, our headliners this evening. Last year saw the group launch their new era with ‘Bloodsuckers’ and they’ve been building momentum ever since. It’s always good to see a show like tonight sell out and that indicates that their support slots with the likes of Skindred and their festival appearances are paying dividends in terms of new fans.

Of course everyone knows the band here tonight and as they propel themselves into opening duo ‘Bloodsuckers’ and ‘Animal’, you instantly feel the intensity levels turned up a notch.

The crowd have been up for it all night and they really ramp the energy levels up as the evening progresses. ‘Bloodsuckers’ really is an album built to be enjoyed live and the likes of ‘I Mean Nothing to You’ and ‘At War With Myself’ go down particularly well.

The Saint Agnes live experience is a visceral, in your face one and singer Kitty Austen is able to enthral the audience with mystifying ease. Indeed, the new breed of rock band is able to create a sense of something bigger than just the music, be that the community around the band or the aesthetic and presence of their artistry.

Our headliners seem to be well on the way with both of those points and again if you were looking to put your money on rocks next stars you’d have to think it’s more than worth a punt on Saint Agnes!

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Slam Dunk Winter Jam

Slam Dunk Winter Jam

Waterfront, Norwich

Thursday 25th January 2024

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SLAM DUNK WINTER JAM – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (C) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

January is always a touring wasteland, with most fans nursing festive hangovers and following a month of sobriety. This year however Slam Dunk have decided to kickstart 2024 and truly get the party started with their ‘Winter Jam’ Tour!

MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP

Tonight the circus rolls into the Waterfront in Norwich and literally getting the party started are local favourites Millie Manders and the Shutup! The opening slot on a four band bill with doors as early as 18:30, may not usually be all that it’s cracked up to be. Manders and co though have absolutely no problem whatsoever in getting the crowd up to the desired level.

Manders and co have a strong following tonight and they make the most of their short opening set with the likes of ‘Rebound’ and ‘Bitter’ getting everyone dancing and singing along. ‘Bacchus’ encourages everyone to “have another drink”, and not being the only drink themed song of the evening probably ruins a fair few dry January’s!

The band are a force of fun-inducing nature and are the ideal band to open up a line-up such as this. Equally our next act [spunge] are well versed in getting a crowd to liven-up with their infectious pop-punk revelry.

[spunge]

Songs such as ‘Jump on Demand’ and ‘Skanking Song’ are built with a purpose and the Norwich crowd are more than happy to oblige this evening. When you throw in a cover of ‘Monkey Man’ and the bands signature song ‘Kicking Pigeons’, you get another super fun set from a band that can only be described as underground national treasures!

TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET

The bands selected by Slam Dunk for this tour are all regulars at the summer spectacular, except for the main support act Teenage Bottlerocket. The group did play this past summer but they are a much rarer prospect for UK fans and the good folk of Norwich certainly seem appreciative of the chance to bang their heads to their intense punk rockers.

As expected, the pace is unrelenting throughout their time on stage and people’s ear drums may take a little while to recover. That’s down to the pure velocity of their sonic onslaught which is rough, ready and able to hypnotise a punk from 1000 metres!

ZEBRAHEAD

The changeovers are relatively quick tonight which doesn’t allow much respite for the audience, but that also means that the four band bill breezes by. Three fun sets down already, and the crowd are ready for their pop punk heroes Zebrahead to bring proceedings to a close.

The group are more than capable of topping a line-up such as this and more than prepared to deliver the knockout blow that will destroy any remaining festive hangovers. They kick off their set with ‘When Both Sides Suck, We’re All Winners’, ‘No Tomorrow’ and ‘Hello Tomorrow’ which sets their pace early on.

Again, as expected, because you know what you are going to get on the Slam Dunk Winter Jam, that pace never really drops. There is no lethargy in the crowd and their hour or so on the Waterfront stage is a joyous celebration of both Zebrahead and the pop punk movement. Whilst the genre may be maligned by certain sections of the musical elite – a night like this will always produce a fun evening of frivolity!

An encore of ‘All My Friends Are Nobodies’ and ‘Falling Apart’ is the perfect cherry on top of the pop punk cake. Tonight that four-tiered cake has been tasty as hell and Slam Dunk have perhaps baked something up which could become as traditional as dry January!

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Don Broco

Don Broco

UEA LCR, Norwich

Saturday 2nd December 2023

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📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

DON BROCO – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

Don Broco are currently finishing out their ‘Amazing Things’ cycle with another trek around the UK and tonight that places them at the UEA LCR in a frostbitten Norwich. Anticipation is clearly high for a fantastic three band bill and the venue is already raring to go as our opening act take to the stage.

OCEAN GROVE

All the way from Australia are nu-metal progeny Ocean Grove, they bring a little sunshine with them to get the crowd warmed up! Tracks like ‘Cali Sun’ and ‘Sunny’ don’t just fit the analogy but truly do get the audience moving and interacting from the very start.

The group are able to deliver their set with absolute assurity and given the traditional show of hands highlights many previously uninitiated amongst the crowd, you’d imagine that their confidence pays off tonight with the recruitment of a new horde of followers!

TRASH BOAT

Playing as main support on this great line-up is St.Albans band Trash Boat. With their most recent album, ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’, the band took their sound to a whole new level and that album makes up the majority of the set tonight. The likes of ‘Silence Is Golden’ and ‘Bad Entertainment’ help them to ensure that the crowd’s incredible early energy doesn’t wane.

Vocalist Tobi Duncan says that a new album is on the way and tonight new tracks ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ and ‘Liar Liar’ both get airings which are well received. The final trio of ‘Alpha Omega’, ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’ and ‘He’s So Good’ is a great way to close out their time on stage as Trash Boat leave their fans excited for more new music and a headline tour in the not too distant future!

DON BROCO

The dancefloor at the LCR is packed full as Don Broco take to the stage and bodies instantly start bouncing as they kick their set off with ‘Gumshield’, ‘Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan’ and ‘ACTION’.

As you’d expect from a tour supporting ‘Amazing Things’, that album features heavily tonight but there is a nice mix of old and new material in the setlist as the band celebrate a decade (plus one) of debut album, ‘Priorities’.

The Don Broco back catalogue at this point though is already quite absurd and it must be hard to select the setlist each night. It doesn’t matter which song is being played therefore, because the crowd lap up everything that Broco throw at them. The atmosphere is truly special tonight, and whilst the people of Norwich deserve credit, it’s obviously a indictment of where Don Broco are as a band.

Whether playing large festival stages, headlining arenas or playing these more intimate affairs, Broco always give it their all and create an epic experience for their fans. Case in point, the sight of a sweat-soaked crowd spinning their t-shirts over their heads during ‘T-Shirt Song’, despite it being -2°C outside!

And as the crowd disperses into the freezing cold night, you know that once again the Broco boys have delivered a night that will live long in the memory for those lucky enough to be in attendance.

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Skinny Lister

Skinny Lister

Norwich Arts Centre

Thursday 30th November 2023

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📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

SKINNY LISTER – NORWICH ARTS CENTRE – LIVE REVIEW

Outside may be bitterly cold, but inside Norwich Arts Centre tonight there is the familiar warmth of community. That’s because those shanty punks Skinny Lister are in town for another uplifting evening of sing-a-long folk tales.

THE MOLEE SHAKES

Country Blues duo The Molee Shakes are the first act to grace the stage this evening and set about showcasing their melancholic fuzz to the early attendees. The performance grows as it progresses and by the end they’ve certainly done enough to engage the crowd and start the show the right way.

LIFE AQUATIC BAND

After a short changeover five-piece ensemble Life Aquatic Band appear as our main support act. The band offer intrigue from the outset with their unique indie disco brand. Each of the three acts tonight offer something different which makes the evening an eclectic mix, but Life Aquatic Band in and of themselves are a delightful sonic jumble!

The musicianship is mightily impressive, the songs have something special about them, the set itself is slick and quirkily stylish and the overall package is thoroughly enjoyable. It’s no surprise therefore that come the climax of their time of stage, the audience appear desperate for more whilst offering a genuinely rousing ovation.

SKINNY LISTER

For many bands that would a difficult set to follow, but Skinny Lister are no average band and they’ve long asserted themselves into the most fun live band conversation. Tonight is simply another exhibit for the case of the prosecution.

From the word go, the band use every ounce of energy to rip through one stirring fan favourite to another. Clearly the likes of ‘Wanted’, ‘Tragedy in A Minor’, ‘Rattle & Roar’ and ‘Cathy’ were always destined to elicit positive responses from the audience. Tonight, though the band are also able to perform tracks from their latest album, ‘Shanty Punk’.

Now in our album review we called it the most ‘Skinny Lister’ Skinny Lister album, and that sentiment follows these songs onto the stage. All of ‘Arm Wrestling in Dresden’, ‘Company of the Bar’, ‘Mantra’ and ‘Unto the Breach’ fit perfectly into the well established setlist and all receive great reactions from a crowd having lots of fun.

Today saw the untimely departure of Pogues iconic frontman Shane MacGowan, and with a little over an hour until December arrives there’s a fitting tribute at the start of the encore with a superb rendition of ‘Fairytale Of New York’. The night then finishes with ‘Six Whiskies’ heralding one last sing-a-long moment.

At this point Skinny Lister are a guaranteed good time and you’d be a fool to miss them when they come to your town!

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Holding Absence

Holding Absence

Epic Studios, Norwich

Monday 27th November 2023

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HOLDING ABSENCE – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (C) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

Holding Absence frontman Lucas Woodland reminisces onstage tonight about the last time the band played in Norwich. Apparently only one ticket was sold! Well, tonight there are a fair few more in attendance as Epic Studios welcomes the Welsh rockers back to the city.

DARK DIVINE

Opening proceedings on this tour are Floridians Dark Divine, who instantly grab your attention with both their striking presentation and their slick rock offerings. Yes, in an industry where it’s harder than ever to standout, Dark Divine manage to do just that tonight.

Considering this is the bands first ever trip to the UK, you’re left to imagine just what the band can go on to achieve? On the evidence of tonight, you’d have to conclude that their future is very bright indeed!

THORNHILL

The international support bill continues next with Aussies Thornhill. The group have established their reputation over the past decade both in the studio and on the stage, and they now find themselves preparing for a fresh era. New single ‘Viper Room’ starts their set tonight and offers a glimpse of what’s to come.

Thornhill are undoubtedly the heaviest band on the bill this evening and as their set continues they manage to engage a central core of moshers who amplify the atmosphere somewhat. Clearly the band achieve their mission tonight and leave with more fans than they arrived with, and those fans will be eager to see what comes next.

HOLDING ABSENCE

What comes next tonight though is the moment that those who queued down road tonight have been waiting for, our headliners Holding Absence. When you speak of a band establishing themselves, you can’t help but to look at what this group has achieved in a relatively short span of time.

Many headline shows, support slots and festival appearances have built a reputation that is only enhanced by their ever-increasing back catalogue. Latest album, ‘The Noble Art of Self Destruction’ takes centre stage tonight and more than holds its own amongst favourites like ‘Gravity’ and ‘Wilt’.

The four-piece are able to command a respectable control over the audience who seem almost in awe of the majestic echo of their music. The magnificent acoustic rendition of ‘Like A Shadow’ is one of the highlights this evening, but truthfully the headline set flows by like a tsunami of sonic resonance.

An encore of ‘Celebration Song’, ‘Afterlife’ and ‘The Angel in the Marble’ is the icing on the cake, and the band leave promising to be back soon. With the growth of the band thus far, you’d have to expect an even bigger crowd will be waiting for them on their third trip to Norwich!

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Massive Wagons

Massive Wagons

Epic Studios, Norwich

Tuesday 14th November 2023

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MASSIVE WAGONS – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

The queue formed outside of Epic Studios in Norwich is a testament to the growing reputation of Massive Wagons. As is the observation of our photographer who last shot them as a support band in a pub in 2016 – “these wagons have become massive!”.

Yes the rise has been slow but steady for the Lancastrian five-piece with each album and each live show seeming to build momentum. Tonight marks the first night of their second tour in support of latest effort ‘Triggered!’, and the band have The New Roses in tow.

THE NEW ROSES

The German rockers have a similar pedigree to our headliners and their growing status will only swell further on the evidence of tonight. The group radiate a natural rock n’ roll elegance from the stage and singer Timmy Rough uses his understated charisma to engage the swathes of Massive Wagons t-shirts on standby for the headliners.

There is an effortless cool as the band showcase material from across their career including most recent album, ‘Sweet Poison’. Their forty-five minute slot flies by which is usually a good sign and they will have undoubtedly gained some new followers tonight.

MASSIVE WAGONS

Tonight probably isn’t going to be a night where Massive Wagons pick up many new fans as the crowd all appear well and truly initiated already. From the moment the band hit the stage with fan favourite, ‘Back to the Stack’ to the last strains of ‘It In Together’, the crowd are treated to the customary Massive Wagons experience.

That is a full throttle rock show with frontman Baz Mills playing the role of chief orchestrator to a tee. Mills flies around the stage, whipping up the crowd, whilst the band solidly unleash their rumbling alt-rock noise.

There are plenty of sing-a-longs in the setlist with the run of ‘Ratio’, ‘China Plates’, ‘Bangin in Your Stereo’ and ‘Nails’ particularly getting the audience going but there isn’t a relent in the pace of evening at any point. The songs from ‘Triggered!’ seem to get equal affection to older favourites, with the setlist well structured to keep that momentum going.

By the time it’s all said and done the crowd have clearly had a great time and both bands have delivered a memorable evening of rock for the fine residents of Norwich. You wouldn’t be surprised to see both bands continue building their momentum in the coming years, but Massive Wagons certainly appear to have established themselves on the circuit now as a safe bet for fans.

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Millie Manders and the Shutup

Millie Manders and the Shutup

The Reindeer, Norwich

Saturday 11th November 2023

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MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP – NORWICh – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (C) Denis Gorbatov

The autumnal sunshine that graced us today has given way to a cold evening as winter ensures that you know that it’s coming. It’s fitting perhaps then to head to The Reindeer in Norwich for a grassroots punk show.

It’s nights like this, in independent venues like this that the truest testaments to musical community transpire and tonight is sold out well in advance. The Norwich punk rock scene is clearly thriving and excited to welcome Millie Manders and the Shutup as they play a local show towards the end of a lengthy UK trek.

THE CAIN PIT

Up first are another local act The Cain Pit who deliver their punk with a bluegrass/country base. The outcome is thunderously good fun as the group do a commendable job of warming up those coming in from the cold.

A relatively new band The Cain Pit have the makings of a new live favourite with songs like ‘Roses’ and ‘Tapestry’ going down like that fifth shot of whiskey at your best friends wedding!

MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP

Our headline act tonight Millie Manders and the Shutup have already established themselves as live favourites and this year have backed that up with fantastic sets at the likes of Rebellion, Slam Dunk and Bearded Theory festivals.

As already touched upon, tonight finds the band almost at the end of a 17 date run with multiple sold out shows including tonight. It’s a great way to end a year that has seen Manders share the first tastes of new material since 2020’s debut album ‘Telling Truths, Breaking Ties’.

New tracks ‘Shut Your Mouth’ and ‘Rebound’ both sound huge tonight as the band deliver an hour or so of relentless punk intensity. There is clearly a connection between Manders and the audience that leads to a joyous atmosphere reverberating around the venue.

Playing as a three-piece tonight due to an ill bassist, the energy and fervour emanating from both the stage and the dancefloor extinguish any missing elements they as meld the aura of the evening into one big old party.

Inside venues like this all of the world’s troubles are temporarily pushed to the back of your mind. Even when the time comes to leave the venue and head into the frostbitten night, the memories of drinks flowing, mohawks dancing and Millie Manders and the Shutup delivering the goods provides a much needed glimmer of hope. That after all is the magic of live music.

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The Hunna

The Hunna

Junction, Cambridge

Monday 30th October 2023

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THE HUNNA – CAMBRIDGE – LIVE REVIEW

📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

It’s the night before Halloween and it’s a typical autumnal evening in Cambridge. The bars and restaurants are bustling and the Junction is doing what they do best and welcoming music fans in for an eclectic night of entertainment.

BAND OF SILVER

The first act to grace the stage this evening is Band of Silver hailing from Nashville. The sibling trio have a modest early crowd to win over, but they set about doing just that. The three bands tonight are an eclectic mix as already mentioned, but Band of Silver are pretty darn eclectic themselves!

Mixing rock and pop with elements of new wave and prog, there is an awful lot going on with their sound. This isn’t a bad thing and certainly makes for an interesting half hour, although the audience doesn’t really reciprocate the energy exuded from the stage. Further exploration of Band of Silver is definitely on the agenda though as the band do the most important thing and leave a mark.

SICK JOY

The main support act on the tour are Sick Joy who slow things down with their darker, grungier sound. The crowd has grown in both size and intensity as the venue is captivated by the groovy rockers.

Following the release of their debut album last year, Sick Joy are already building their next phase and recent single, ‘Hypodermic Sunshine’, gives a positive glimpse of what’s to come. The band are well on the way to establishing themselves as a must see act and shows like tonight will only grow their fanbase further.

THE HUNNA

Cultivating a fanbase isn’t something that has been a problem for our headliners The Hunna. Ever since the band broke through in 2016 they’ve been on the cusp of huge things. Their debut album has ensured that the band will always be able to pack out venues like tonight and it’s no surprise that by the time the band come on the venue is full and raring to go.

From the moment the band arrive onstage you feel in the presence of something special and the atmosphere ramps up throughout the likes of ‘We Could Be’, ‘Fugazi’, ‘I Wanna Know’ and ‘Can’t Break What’s Broken’.

Self-titled album, ‘The Hunna’ takes centre stage tonight amidst a well structured, career-spanning setlist. The album continues the bands momentum and is a great collection of songs, many of which come across well live tonight with ‘Apologies’ and show ender ‘Trash’ particular highlights.

The main set closing run of ‘She’s Casual’, ‘Bonfires’ and ‘Dare’ is electric as you’d expect and with the tease of new music on the horizon, it’s very clear that The Hunna still have plenty more to offer.

There were no tricks at the Junction tonight, but for those in attendance there were an abundance of treats!

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Philip Seth Campbell

Philip Seth Campbell

Portland Arms, Cambridge

Monday 16th October 2023

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PHILIP SETH CAMPBELL – CAMBRIDGE – LIVE REVIEW

When journeyman musician Phil Campbell left his role as frontman for The Temperance Movement in 2020, it was obvious to fans that his musical journey would continue in some shape or form. Campbell after all is a man that wears his heart on his sleeve and his heart and soul is rooted in song.

Following the release of an album with The Byson Family, that journey came full circle and now finds Campbell releasing his music under the eponymous full moniker of Philip Seth Campbell. Now with recently unleashed album, ‘City Lights’ to showcase, Campbell is back out where he belongs – on stage.

ALICE FAYE

That stage tonight is found in the fantastic Portland Arms in Cambridge and opening the evening is Alice Faye. The solo musician bases herself at a piano in front of what appears to be a predominately rock orientated audience and proceeds to serenade them with a selection of delicate tunes.

You may think this could go down like a certain ill-designed balloon, but that’s not the case! Faye’s obvious talent and the receptive nature of Campbell’s fanbase means that the crowd hangs off of every note.

PHILIP SETH CAMPBELL

It isn’t long thereafter that Campbell arrives onstage with a three-piece set-up bringing songs from his career to life. The focus of course is on ‘City Lights’ and the exceptional ‘Magical West’ gets us started in the best way.

Over the course of the next hour or so each song tells its own story and it is evidently clear again that Campbell is one of the most eminently gifted singers of his generation. Campbell’s career has been a journey indeed and probably fairly described as an arduous one. It’s one however that has rewarded Campbell with incredible experiences and his fans with an embarrassment of musical riches to enjoy.

The influences on ‘City Lights’ may be more eclectic than found through the likes of The Temperance Movement, but the results all bear the spirit and essence of the man himself. The new music is resplendent tonight and old favourites like ‘Chinese Lanterns’ and finale ‘Lovers & Fighters’ still sound glorious.

It’s great to see Philip Seth Campbell back on a stage doing what he loves, and fans tonight will be glad they made the effort to support a great local venue and an incredibly talented artist commencing the latest leg of his remarkable journey.

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