The band consists of brothers Luke and Dan Simpkins, sharing vocal duties with the former fronting with a large keyboard and the latter on bass, with Harry Meads on the skins and Tim Ayers on guitar. The band are working on their debut album and tonight they showcase their songs which are well received by the Saturday night crowd. Im afraid I have to guess the titles, hopefully Ive got them right.
Their music maybe slightly derivative, but theyre a young attractive looking, clean cut band, so its bound to be and its harmonious and pleasing to the ear. Lukes keyboard on Run In Line With You has a very plinky sound, the bass and drums build on the sound but the guitarist is very restrained playing chords in the main and the rather simple style works well against the keyboard being played as lead. Its Keane with guitars.
The pleasant pop rock of Nothing is Easy has all the girlies at the front, screaming at them. In fact the whole audience seems to be primarily female tonight with headliner Paolo Nutini clearly appealing more to female fans.
Carry Me shows Lukes vocal talent, despite his feverish hands on the keys and his shouting, it actually is pleasant shouting. Confession is more of the same, its not so much foot tapping music but its pleasant aural soundscape.
Finally Tim shows some edge in his guitar work letting rip to Your New Friends and now they do sound like Keane with guitars and theyve dragged a good sized crowd from the bar to hear them. Turn it Up their last song, is a potential future anthem for the weekend, and the local boys have a possible hit on their hands with this and decent exposure well be seeing these boys again, the crowd loved them.
The crowds packed for the young twenty one year old Newton Faulkner (or as someone keeps yelling Newton Ferrers) and the vocal applause for this dreadlocked acoustic musician suggests its a Saturday night and its ladies night and there must be a discount on white wine somewhere nearby!
After two false starts during which Newton provides entertainment under the two static blue spots tuning his guitar and doing ape impressions across the stage and the crowd are wooed! Eventually he starts, hes an instantly likeable singer songwriter with a quirky delivery and quirkier lyrics but it works well.
To The Light is hardly discernable over the excited crowd. But a speedy jumping rap, flourishing guitar and bodywork beats on his guitar. Faulkner tells us he doesnt do campfire songs but was interviewed a while ago and asked to do a cover, now he cant do Wonderwall or Stairway to Heaven he says so he did Massive Attacks Teardrop he plays it for us and hes won over every member of the now packed crowd. Its much preferred to his suggestion of the Spongebob Squarepants theme tune or No Limits!
Feels Like Home and Full Fat have the kind of lyrics that instantly win us over. And Mr Faulkner has the crowd captivated by the time UFO from his future album and his theramin impression have us laughing!
We finish with a sing along thats impressive singing Billy and Faulkner promises to return. Lullaby is a song about dreams and very sweet and Im very impressed with Faulkner, he is a natural entertainer, very relaxed and I hope he decides to play the festival scene this summer. Hell be perfect for festival audiences, great sing along songs and a lovely vibe, he would walk any acoustic stage slot.
FUTURE GIGS
- date performer venue price
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Thu 25 Apr 2024
Newton Faulkner
Gloucester
Gloucester Guildhall
[GL1 1NS] £28.50
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Fri 26 Apr 2024
Newton Faulkner
Clitheroe
The Grand at Clitheroe
[BB7 2DL] £28.50
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Sat 27 Apr 2024
Newton Faulkner
Liverpool
Hangar34
[L1 0BS] £28.50
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Sun 28 Apr 2024
Newton Faulkner
Lincoln
Lincoln Drill Hall
[LN2 1EY] £28.50
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Tue 30 Apr 2024
Newton Faulkner
Leeds
The Old Woollen
[LS28 1UJ] £28.50
SOLD OUT -
Thu 2 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Stockton-on-Tees
Arc
[TS18 1LL] £28.50
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Fri 3 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Carlisle
Old Fire Station
[CA3 8QW] £28.50
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Sat 4 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Selkirk
MacArts
[TD1 1SP] £28.50
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Sun 5 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Bury
The Met
[BL9 0BW] £28.50
-
Thu 9 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Southend-on-Sea
Chinnery's
[SS1 2EJ] £28.50
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Thu 9 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Southend-on-Sea
Chinnery's
[SS1 2EJ] £28.50
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Fri 10 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Cambridge
The Junction
[CB1 7GX] £28.50
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Sun 12 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Shoreham by Sea
Ropetackle Arts Centre
[BN43 5EG] £28.50
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Tue 14 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Shrewsbury
Theatre Severn
[SY3 8FT] £28.50
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Wed 15 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Newbury
Arlington Arts Centre
[RG14 3BQ] £28.50
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Fri 17 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Southampton
1865
[SO14 3AR] £28.50
-
Sat 18 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Exeter
Exeter Phoenix
[EX4 3LS] £28.50
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Sun 19 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Bath
Komedia
[BA1 1EP] £28.50
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Tue 21 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Buxton
Opera House
[SK17 6XN] £28.50
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Wed 22 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Southport
The Atkinson (The Studio)
[PR8 1DB] £28.50
-
Wed 29 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Grimsby
Docks Academy
[DN31 3JD] £28.50
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Wed 29 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Grimsby
Docks Academy
[DN31 3JD] £28.50
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Thu 30 May 2024
Newton Faulkner
Harrogate
Harrogate Theatre
[HG1 1QF] £28.50
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Sat 1 Jun 2024
Newton Faulkner
Holmfirth
The Picturedrome
[HD9 7DA] £28.50
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Fri 19 Jul 2024
Newton Faulkner
Hope Valley
The Devil\'s Arse
[S33 8WS] £30.00
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Thu 22 Aug 2024
Newton Faulkner
Cottingham
The Civic Hall
[HU16 5QG] £37.50
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