newton faulkner

You can tell someones got something from the first time you lay eyes on them. I had the privilege of going to New ton Faulkner on Monday night (well, not as much privilege as my friend who got to be on the balcony and wrote this about him).

He was on in the Village, but it should have been Vicar Street really - I hope it will be next time. The Village suffers from corridor-itis - it' long and thin and it seems that you're always in the way - of the bar, the coat-check or the toilets, which are bizarrely situated to one side of the stage. It was very hot and crowded, and airless. So I could see NF's head if I craned on tip-toe, and moved around, dodging other people's heads. And a strange mix of a crowd it was too. Old and young, cool and nerdy. Not enough people who looked like him, though they might have all been down the front, come to think of it.

Despite the minimal comfort level and restricted viewing, god, he was good. The (young) man has a voice that expands into something godly. It's huge, and deep and melodious, and well funky - he and a friend who we sadly missed as he must have gone on as the doors opened for about ten minutes! did a guitar -off of 'Play that Funky Music Whiteboy' that sounded like there were about 15 people singing. Unbefreakinglievable. My favourite tack off the album is 'Something' and it was great, but the really popular single 'Dream-catch Me' was transcendent - biggest singalong ever.

I'm usually slightly embarrassed by singalong, audience participation stuff, but his musical talent made it work. And Newton's really funny - his stories were great, and his slight embarrassment at needing to rearrange himself in front of the crowd was hilarious, and done with aplomb. The gig was better for it. His story about choosing a cover, with musical illustrations, was so good, but I won't give examples in case you go see him. But it was personal, musical, funny, self-deprecating while revealing his brilliance - end ended in the spectacular cover of 'Teardrop'. Who would have thought of a man singing Liz Frazer?

His guitar playing - I don't know, it's like there's more than one guitar, more than one musician - the rhythm of him has to be seen to be believed. He's definitely been hanging around some crossroads, I think. It's left my husband, who is a mean enough guitarist, dying to get practicing. Inspirational stuff.

And as Midge suggested, the guy is so fucking cute! He's got a great, pleasantly middle class accent, he covers embarrassment by doing a sort of Jo Brand voice, and then of course, there are the dreads. Sigh. There's definitely a Cornwall Celtic ancient musician thing going on there, the man must just have so much sex.

One of his songs tells the story of being on his own one man tour, lugging bags of clothes, cds and guitars around by train - an sitting opposite a woman who was having none of him: 'Shes got time but she ain't got time for me'. Who the fuck was she, the madwoman! Who wouldn't have time for him? I would have had him home with me in a flash - sadly to make him dinner, and drool from afar, as I'm too old for the happier alternative!

His album is 'Handbuilt by Robots'. I like it and will continue listening to it. But he said he wanted it to be something you could listen to the whole of, as an experience I suppose, and it doesn't work for me, I don't think he achieved that. I find it starts brilliantly and tails off, the songs aren't equally strong. Having said that, I don't like UFO n the album particularly, but loved it live. So who knows.

Go see him if you get the chance!

Check him out on youtube and www.myspace.com/newtonfaulkner