Live Gig Review from 'An Evening With...' Hosted by ExCellar Wine Merchants London October 15th 2022
Steve Young - Ex Cellar
I am sitting here this morning reflecting on another wonderful evening at Ex Cellar where I was introduced to the sublime talent that is Steve Young, a singer songwriter of extraordinary talent.
Across two superb 45 minute *Steve *dazzled us with his musical prowess and his truly engaging personality. Every song was a story of contemporary life, the highs, the lows, the amusing and the deadly serious. Lyrically Steve is incredibly talented as his words painted vivid pictures and at times it made me stop and think of some of my own life experiences.
The setting at Ex Cellar is warm and inviting and Steve added greatly to the atmosphere. A very strong vocal with every word clearly enunciated, soulful and at times gentle whilst also possessing a powerful range. Equally impressive was Steve’s acoustic guitar playing, finger picking with real dexterity carving out a rich melody.
Steve was accompanied last night by two musicians that showed themselves to be masters of their craft, Jade Cuthbert who beguiled on the violin with sweeping strokes of the strings with the bow and Drew Cowburn on piano who laid down a carpet of notes that provided a rich foundation for every song.
Every number was a veritable treat but those that really stood out for me were The Great North Road, a tale of the life of a troubadour musician, Integrity, the story of a loving relationship coming to an end and Trembling Heart a tale of love. An added bonus for me was a unique rendition of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, a song that is very special to me. Steve informed us it was a memory of his first ever gig seeing Pink Floyd An added delight throughout the show was Steve’s storytelling of how the songs evolved and his life as a working musician. It added greatly to the enjoyment of the evening. He has lived a rich life in the music business.
My thanks to Steve, Jade and Drew for their sheer brilliance in entertaining us so royally and also to Simon Baile for continuing to put on these extraordinary nights of music that bring me so much joy.
The live music scene continues to struggle just now with promoters and artists striving to make a success of the scene. If you love music as I do go out there and sample it in its finest environment, you will be richly rewarded.
*Nigel Foster *