Last weekend I finally got myself down to see the one and only Will Varley. I cannot believe this is my first time seeing him, I have been a huge fan for years now but it was not until he came to The Montgomery Theatre in Sheffield last Saturday that I was able to witness his lyrical genius first hand! Before the stage was graced with Varley's presence we were treated to two very talented support acts; the first of which being a solo performance from the frontman of Hush - a Sheffield band - Ben Ibbotson. As Ben took to the stage the crowd were unusually quiet and it was an atmosphere very rare at a gig. No one chatted through his performance, maybe the audience were just incredibly polite or maybe it was something to do with the fact he blew everyone away! I enjoyed everything about his performance, I enjoyed his lyrics as well as his confident stage presence, he quickly got the crowd going and really did warm up the room. His talent was immediately obvious. There's just something I love about someone on stage with nothing but an acoustic guitar, especially so when they're as talented and entertaining as Ben Ibbotson. His band Hush are definitely worth checking out, you can listen here: Hush - King and Queen. The next warm up act was equally as talented, even if her songs took a sadder, more emotional tone. Ailbhe Reddy has gone through a lot of heartache and her songs definitely let you know that. However, her charming and humorous stage presence balanced this perfectly and she was a joy to watch perform. 'Coffee' was one of my favourite of her set, during which she sang of having a crush on the lad that served her at her local coffee shop, a light-hearted, easy listening song. I was so impressed by her entire set from start to finish, this young girl from Dublin certainly has a bright future ahead. Check out her exquisite voice and heartfelt songs here Ailbhe Reddy. Finally, the time came for Varley to take to the stage. He entered the stage exactly as I had hoped, no flashing lights or extravagant dress sense just one man drinking a can of Guinness, in his scruffy jeans and a t-shirt doing what he loved, and he does it so well. He has such a talent for holding the audience, he owned the stage. I was gripped by each song, he is a real crowd pleaser. The gig began with favourites such as 'Seize the Night' and 'Weddings and Wars' and they really set a fantastic tone for the evening, the latter of which is a song that takes us through the entire history of mankind in four minutes! As the night grew on the show only got better and better. Not only was I enjoying the music but songs such as 'I Got This Email' had me in hysterics. Especially when Varely attempted a Sheffield accent (quite atrociously I might add), not only is he a great lyricist and musician but he's also hilarious and entertaining. He told story after story which sent the audience into fits of laughter.
However, he also managed to change the whole dynamic of the room with songs like 'The Man Who fell to Earth'. For those of you who don't know it's a song written about Jose Matada, a refugee who fell from the undercarriage of a Boeing 747 flight from Angola trying to find a better life for himself, his body was found the following day with only a pound in his pocket. From this tragedy Will wrote this inspirational song about it. The song sent shivers down my spine and goose bumps crept along my arms. His ability to grab the whole audience in his hands was breath-taking. Of course he threw in a little bit of light-hearted politics, a new song all about the internet and how people actually had to venture outside and speak to one another, the song culminates with a man with funny hair not being able to build a wall because the internet was broke. Another fantastically witty song and it was especially humorous. Along with classics 'Advert Soundtrack' and 'We Don't Believe you' that were well received by the crowd. Overall, I have not been to a gig with so much to it in such a long time. Will Varley is a brilliant entertainer and a very, very talented wordsmith yet he's very humble and he seems like a great guy too. I only have great things to say about him - well, maybe besides the haircut - I wish him all the best as he takes some time out to spend it with his new-born daughter, but I really can't wait for the next time.
0 Comments
|
Archives
August 2020
Categories
All
|