Front man of Feeder, Grant Nicholas has gone solo. Following the success from his stripped back debut album ‘Yorktown Heights’, Nicholas embarked on his first UK tour as a solo artist. The Bodega was completely sold out with fans of Grant Nicholas’ new found acoustic sound and those curious to hear his new musical path.
Immediately upon entering The Bodega, as the audience filed in, and the Nottingham-born support act, Jamie Moon played his laid back, acoustic set. Moon created a homely atmosphere, welcoming the crowd into The Bodega for an intimate night of music.
[quote]There is a very little difference between his recording and live performances; proof that the talent is in the person and not the recording studio.[/quote]
At the change of the stage lights from blue to red, the crowd were prepared for the entrance of Grant Nicholas. It is no exaggeration to say that, when he first appeared on stage, there were more flashes from cameras than from twenty packs of malfunctioning Christmas tree lights. Once the initial photo hype had died down, Grant launched straight into his set. He began in a simple, no fuss manner, making it clear that his performance was not about him, but about his music. The speech between songs was kept to a minimum, including the essentials such as introductions of band members with anecdotes from years of friendship, and acknowledgements of behind the scenes members; those associated with tuning especially on this particular night.
Nicholas played a handful of songs from his debut album Yorktown Heights. ‘Soul Mates’ seemed to be a crowd favourite. The audience sung back the upbeat chorus. This added a lighter break from Nicholas’ more melancholy songs. ‘Joan of Arc’ sounded reminiscent of past Feeder tracks, other than this song Nicholas’ sound didn’t sound alike to his previous career at all. He announced he will be releasing a “mini album” entitled Black Clouds, much to the delight of the first few crowds – the obvious fanatics.
If Grant Nicholas’ sound could be described in one word, it would be “pure”. There is a very little difference between his recording and live performances; proof that the talent is in the person and not the recording studio. From the simply, but effective, guitar lines which complement the vocals perfectly, to the synchronised head bopping from the audience at the introduction of drums, a concert with Grant Nicholas is an all-round, all-encompassing experience.
Isla McLachlan
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