Review: Willy Mason @ The Gate
Willy Mason
The Gate
6th September 2011
Good live music makes me smile. Be it mosh pit or Mozart, I’ll be there ready to absorb and enjoy. On Tuesday night it happened to be one of America’s most talented young lyricists at my favourite acoustic venue, Roath’s The Gate. And guess what? I’m still grinning.
Support, in the first instance, came in the form of ex- Low Anthem man Dan Lefkowitz, or Futur Primitf as his new one man band has been christened, whose confidently laid back performance featured some very dextrous guitar playing and some great lyrical imagery. (A-Level English anyone?) “In case you haven’t noticed my songs are about hope or despairhuh, they’re so f**king similar don’t you think?”
Next were the truly outstanding and extremely smiley The Staves, three sisters from London who sounded like a female Fleet Foxes with their gorgeous harmonies making full use of the venue’s acoustics. Their “shy, bittersweet folk-pop tunes...and all round classy minstrel melodies” (The Irish Times) were a very pleasant surprise. Think of a folkier/more stripped backed Au Revoir Simone and/or Beach House with even better harmonies and familial links and you’ve got The Staves.
Now for the main man. Brought to Cardiff by Swn as part of the End of the Road Festival, New York born Willy Mason plays folk/blues/country music at its finest with lyrics that are wise, witty and world-weary - often at the same time. Before he was due on, Mason shuffled in to announce that his “thumb pick had become two thumb picks” and asked if anyone could help. After much frantic rustling for thumb picks which probably 90% of the audience would never have in their pocket, he returned gaffer-taped up and ready (“Gaffer tape. It sticks hey that should be a slogan!”). Alone onstage but for his guitar, Mason soon got straight into proceedings and you instantly felt in the presence of something great. I could really connect with songs like Fear No Pain, We Can be Strong and Oxygen with the latter’s lyrics getting my head nodding;
“I wanna see through all the lies of society
To the reality, happiness is at stake.
I wanna hold up my head with dignity
Proud of a life where to give means more than to take
I know the future looks dark
But it's there that the kids of today must carry the light.”
Mason wrote this at 20 and at 26 is he is as insightful as ever - one reviewer likened him to Bob Dylan and yes, like Dylan, he is, in short, a poet with a guitar. However, unlike Dylan, he came across as charismatic, warm and funny and gave a cracking vocal performance. His set was full of serious songs with often deep messages but he was genuine and completely unpretentious - the sort of guy you’d quite happily share a jar or two with (if of course you look, or, sorry are, over 18).
In fact at one point, a whiskey fuelled belch interrupted him mid-sentence and after laughing it off he cut straight to the last chorus. Quite understandably he had been “put off”. A fantastic set from a man with hopefully a long career ahead of him - a new record is apparently on the cards and any folk/country/blues fans should keep their eyes peeled.
Info Sport & Leisure Performing Arts Music
