Ben Marwood (Union Chapel, 19.12.15)
I'm breaking with protocol and splitting my review of Frank Turner's benefit gig for Shelter at the Union Chapel into two sections.
The night was opened by Lewis Bootle (22 and from Hertfordshire). His songs are charming, even if I found some of the lyrics a little trite. The people behind me made comparisons between him and a young Jamie T, which I could see. I felt more than a smidge of Ed Sheeran in some of his songs. The set showed promise though and he has time on his side to develop a sound of his own.
I wanted to separately acknowledge Ben Marwood's set last night, in part because I love a comeback. It was his first show for 18 months after a bout of illness that threatened to become serious. I've seen him about three times, bought all of his merchandise and never spoken to him. What Daniel Kitson would describe as "melancholy yet strangely optimistic", his songs are darkly witty and distictive and I like them very much. In particular the song "Oh My Days" on the subject of being a struggling artist and the lines "And in the Barfly, I'll think about my life. Or the time I played in Newbury and nobody came"*.
I presumed that he would be rusty and instead he owned the Union Chapel stage like he'd never been away. Songs like "We Are No Longer Twenty Five" ("I will not let go, I will live my life") and Toil ("It's not the way you finish but the way you run this race, I intend to go the distance but I'll do it at my pace") are given added poignancy by the circumstances. It was a performance of compelling intensity but with a nice line in comedic banter between songs. Having attempted to soften the murderous imagery of "Under Lock and Key", he informed us the next song was called "They Will Float Your Body Out To Sea".There's light under the darkness though, as "Singalong" demonstrated to great effect.
Overall, it was a moving experience that took me a little by surprise. It's great to have him back.
* I suffered my worst death as a stand-up in Newbury. Probably justifiably so in retrospect.
The night was opened by Lewis Bootle (22 and from Hertfordshire). His songs are charming, even if I found some of the lyrics a little trite. The people behind me made comparisons between him and a young Jamie T, which I could see. I felt more than a smidge of Ed Sheeran in some of his songs. The set showed promise though and he has time on his side to develop a sound of his own.
I wanted to separately acknowledge Ben Marwood's set last night, in part because I love a comeback. It was his first show for 18 months after a bout of illness that threatened to become serious. I've seen him about three times, bought all of his merchandise and never spoken to him. What Daniel Kitson would describe as "melancholy yet strangely optimistic", his songs are darkly witty and distictive and I like them very much. In particular the song "Oh My Days" on the subject of being a struggling artist and the lines "And in the Barfly, I'll think about my life. Or the time I played in Newbury and nobody came"*.
I presumed that he would be rusty and instead he owned the Union Chapel stage like he'd never been away. Songs like "We Are No Longer Twenty Five" ("I will not let go, I will live my life") and Toil ("It's not the way you finish but the way you run this race, I intend to go the distance but I'll do it at my pace") are given added poignancy by the circumstances. It was a performance of compelling intensity but with a nice line in comedic banter between songs. Having attempted to soften the murderous imagery of "Under Lock and Key", he informed us the next song was called "They Will Float Your Body Out To Sea".There's light under the darkness though, as "Singalong" demonstrated to great effect.
Overall, it was a moving experience that took me a little by surprise. It's great to have him back.
* I suffered my worst death as a stand-up in Newbury. Probably justifiably so in retrospect.
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