I’d never seen Newton Faulkner before, but I was not disappointed. The venue filled up quickly and I could feel the anticipation in the audience as we waited for a sign of movement. An hour after the doors opened, Sam Brookes [6/10] walked on stage and started his acoustic set. His sweet voice managed to get the audience into the right mood for the gig, singing his new single James and a couple of previews from his upcoming album.
There was another short wait and Newton Faulkner [9/10] came on quietly, followed by an uproar of applause; this didn’t last long though as everyone was determined to hear his first acoustic song, Where to Start. His second song, Won’t Let Go, started and ended with a bit of humour, which lasted throughout the whole performance and got everyone laughing. He bought his brother, Toby Faulkner, and Sam Brookes on stage as well as a cellist for some of his songs and who then stayed on stage through the most part of the closing songs. Although Newton was brilliant on his own, the extra members added a bit more depth to his guitar and vocals. The whole set had everyone swaying and singing along.
Midway, Newton even did a cover of Justin Timberlake’s Like I Love You, which made everyone cheer. He was very engaging and interactive with the audience, constantly asking questions and getting us to sing parts of his songs, such as Write It On Your Skin and the huge final song Orange Skies.
The whole night was full of clever sound effects made with his guitar in ways no one would normally be able to do. It was incredible and I would definitely see him again.
Sarah Douthwaite
Image provided by RCA Label Group UK
