SUPPORT FROM SAM FENDER AND RHODES
The main attraction of playing in such a small venue has to be that it takes around 20 people to make it look busy.
Unfortunately, Sam Fender doesn’t pull in the crowd that he deserves. Refreshingly, he takes it in jest. When introducing Lonely, he quips, ‘This is a new song, which doesn’t make the slightest of difference cause you wouldn’t have known it anyway.’
A 20 minute set themed the hardships of being 19, captivates the tiny audience. His deeper than John Martyn voice is coupled with the bluesy-est of White Stripes riffs and sweeps through the crowd.
The wishy washy Rhodes looks like the lost member of One Direction and plucks away whining about heart break or something along those lines.
Nick Mulvey plays to a crowd full of chatterboxes. His stage presence isn’t the strongest and the crowd are distant, quite literally. Mulvey beckons everyone closer to the stage for a stripped down version of Nitrus. However, turns out the energy found on the single does not translate and sadly dissipates.
An unexpected cover of Donna Summer’s disco smash ‘I Feel Love’ is chucked in and is barely recognizable. Venus is light, airy and features that Spanish guitar playing style Mulvey’s just smashing at. Fever to the Form is the closer and is the most heartfelt song played all night, which isn’t saying much.
There’s no doubt that Mulvey is an impeccably skilled guitarist. One solo in particular travels all the way up the fret board and a few tricky harmonics are thrown in as well. His personality is thrown to one side and his knack of playing guitar takes center stage. Watching a session musician is entertaining up to a point.
dain bramage 