Concert review: Newton Faulkner, Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton
He is a veteran of the festival circuit with appearances at Glastonbury and V under his belt but Newton Faulkner showed he is just as at home in more intimate venues when he took to the stage at Wolverhampton's Slade Rooms.
Newton Faulkner
Slade Rooms
Wolverhampton
He is a veteran of the festival circuit with appearances at Glastonbury and V under his belt but Newton Faulkner showed he is just as at home in more intimate venues when he took to the stage at Wolverhampton's Slade Rooms.
The 26-year-old Surrey-born star showcased songs from his first two albums, Hand Built By Robots and Rebuilt By Humans which both made the top three in the UK charts.
And despite the Brit nominated guitarist forging somewhat of a lower profile in recent months while working on his third album he showed he still has a loyal following in the West Midlands with the venue selling out with a few weeks of the show being confirmed.
With his impressive guitar skills, soulful voice and witty rapport the dreadlocked singer had the capacity crowd captivated from the moment he stepped on stage.
Somewhat unsurprisingly his best known tune, Dream Catch Me, which made the top ten in the UK charts went down well as did his covers of the Massive Attack tune Teardrop and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.
He also showcased some new material including a fun but daft song about a professional dog food taster which he admitted was unlikely to feature on his new album as "it's just too silly".
There was plenty of interaction with the audience in a gig which had everything from a birthday to a fainting – and even a proposal.
The support was provided by innovative singer songwriter David Ford who is known for his use of the layering effect on songs which enables the soloist to play multiple instruments and slowly work them into his songs which as a result invariably end in a tuneful cacophony.
