CityLife

Newton Faulkner

Newton Faulkner
The Lowry
October 19, 2009

FAULKNER’S appeal seems to know no bounds – young kids with hippy mums, twentysomethings with their mothers too – and it’s easy to see why.

The Surrey-raised fella showed that his records don’t do him justice.

Whoever suggested blokes can’t multi task hasn’t seen Faulkner in action; he appears solo but with the help of his electro acoustic guitar, a few pedals and some pre-recorded backing played by… well himself actually, he creates the kind of live wall of sound that should belong to a much bigger outfit.

Witty banter

It’s even more impressive when you learn that Faulkner almost didn’t make this tour on account of the fact that he broke his wrist.

Some songs are executed with little more than his guitar plucking and slapping such as his biggest hit Dream Catch Me, but elsewhere he employs strings operated by the pedals and switches at his feet and backing tracks including one on an audio tape – at just 24 it’s surprising he knows what one is.

Well known for his liking of a good cover, the night wouldn’t be complete without a couple of them, the stand out being his atmospheric version of Massive Attack’s Teardrop. And if that wasn’t enough he’s a chatty host too, with some witty banter, particularly when comparing a few of his songs to the work of Kermit the frog…

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