Huntingdon Hall Gig Review

Written by Gaynor Andrews

It’s a constant surprise to me when I discover someone new because I see them for the first time supporting the artist I’ve gone to see in the first place!

Although I’d heard of Brian’s music before thanks to Radio 2’s Bob Harris it came as a real revelation when I saw him live when he supported the Christians at Huntingdon Hall in Worcester on Thursday 30th March.

With his cheeky looks and a real boyish charm about him, he has also been blessed with a real glint in his eye and has been kissed by more than the Blarney Stone! He has confidence and exuberance in abundance and has a very cheeky humour and engaging presence which an audience can easily respond to. 

Brian’s like a coiled spring, still one minute then leaping into action the next. You can tell he has a passion for his music and the lyrics to his songs are beautifully crafted and very poignant and meaningful. This is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, unashamedly.

Red Badge of Courage illustrates this more than any song I heard from him that

night. It tells of a love for his wife in life-changing times and he’s not afraid to tell the world how he feels about the woman he loves. Pure emotion expressed in a very powerful song. He’s a real talent in the mass produced music world.

The very catchy ‘I Was a Child in the Seventies’ tapped into exactly the feel of the times and growing up back then. You could really link in to what was being talked about in a very engaging way. 

A hint of his cheeky humour came when he played a very clever guitar solo and said “it’s at times like these in America when the audience applaud” … and the audience started to applaud. “Spontaneously!” was Brian’s clever reply, followed by much more applause, cheers and whistles.

We were treated to six songs including ‘Scared of Falling’, ‘Christmas Day’, ‘Somebody Else’s Dream’ and ‘Childish Things’ along with the two mentioned. All of them reaching out to you and grabbing your attention.

Oh boy so he’s another one on the ‘must go see list’…and I’m looking forward to seeing this excellent guy again and telling everyone I know about him.