Guerrilla Nature

It would be reasonable to suggest that having taken part in a performance at a gig would necessarily compromise a reviewer’s eligibility to review the event. However, it is also reasonable to suggest that as long as whomever is writing the review does not pass comment on the performance in which they themselves took part, their eligibility to review the event itself is at least somewhat restored.

As a writer and performer, it seemed to make a fair amount of sense to review a night for which one was present from start to finish – an increasingly rare occurrence these days. So, we will only mention the set played by Nature And The Beasts in this paragraph, in order to point out that opinions on their set will be omitted from this review. For those who would like to make their own minds up about that particular performance, there is a video of the last two tracks from that set here.

The night of 20^th July 2023 was truly a revelation, even for someone who was already familiar with some of the performers on a lineup that turned to be even more impressive than anticipated. It had been a while since last visiting The Musician, but one was reminded before even entering the building of the prestige carried by the venue, it having served Leicester faithfully for so long and hosted so many great performers during that time.

Daz Lynch, who also orchestrated the event following a two year break since the first acoustic night he held at The Musician, played the opening set to strum and sing us all into the swing of things. Rocking some of the best of his brilliant original compositions, including a particularly moving rendition of “Broken Man”, Daz made the prudent move of finishing with an energetic one of “Give A Little Love”, which had the whole room clapping and stomping along enthusiastically.

Rhett Barrow followed, with his first set since a brief hiatus for paternal duties. He brought the usual swagger and groove, playing some from his own highly adored catalogue, including “In The Morning”, as well as covering Beck’s classic “Devil’s Haircut”, all of which got a great response from the growing crowd. Sorry, we were too busy enjoying Rhett’s set and singing along, so neglected to press record on the audio device. Whoops!

Mark Ryman was fourth to the stage, also returning after something of a break whilst fulfilling parental duties. This was the first of the acts that were unfamiliar to this reviewer, but it’s certainly a name that will stick in the memory for all the best reasons. We were clearly witnessing a very talented singer-songwriter with guitar skills to match the lyric writing ability and an impressive vocal range. Audio from Mark Ryman’s set can be found here.

Joeker Digz was next, with a sincerely superb performance. Having witnessed Joeker play a few times, this was honestly the best set one has seen from him yet, which is in keeping with a general pattern of improvement over time. He started off with a cover of Bryan Adams and Mel C’s noughties global hit “When You’re Gone” and ended with a classic original composition called “Green”, both of which were delivered with powerful ease. Audio from Joeker Digz’s set can be found here.

Finally, we were treated to a true one-person-band, with Jack Simpson taking to the stage to operate a table full of devices for recording, looping and adding effects. His set included delightful covers of Finlay Quaye’s 90’s chiller “Love Gets Sweeter” and the Ben. E. King original “Stand By Me”, before finishing on an extended version of a well loved reggae rhythm, the name of which escapes recollection. Audio from Jack Simpson’s set can be found here.

The sound engineering was very good for each and every set, which is always pleasing. Each and every performer played their heart out and the crowd were really engaged with the material when it was being played, although there was also some interaction amongst themselves at some points, all of which felt kind and humorous. This made for a really enjoyable evening, despite a disappointingly low turnout.

One might suppose that it was a pity to have held this event on the same evening on which a venue that is one of the closest in proximity to The Musician just happened to be hosting an internationally renowned local band. However, for those who attended, they appreciated that this provided the opportunity to enjoy an intimate evening with some familiar faces. Here’s hoping Mr Lynch et al don’t leave it another two years before the next one, which will inevitably be more fully attended.

The Musician is a great venue; a stalwart of the real Leicester music scene, among so many others, as were the performers on show at this acoustic night. It is heartily recommended that fans of music in Leicester take advantage of the stupendously low £5 entrance fee for hours of high quality musicianship with awesome sound. What more could one ask for? It might be possible to see one or two of these acts elsewhere, but rarely if ever all in one place on the same night.

In the meantime, all of the audio from this event can be found at the page accessible via this link: The Musician Leicester July 2023 Audio.

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