Gig review: CONNOR SELBY – Amazing Grace, London, 16 May 2023

May 24th, 2023 by Davoski

A new venue for this intrepid reviewer, and one that he will want to return to soon. The Church of St Thomas, dating from the 18^th Century now hosts a small auditorium with something of a cocktail bar, modern jazz club feel augmented by original ecclesiastical features and fittings, such as stained glass windows and a crown, unicorn and lion carving forming the impressive backdrop to the stage.

But enough of the architectural detail already. What of the music? The night kicked off with an entertaining half hour set from Logan J Parker. The Portuguese singer songwriter moved to London in 2015 and released her first EP in 2019. She brought stacks of colourful and confident stage presence and in delivering characterful vocals and rhythm guitar, eye-balled pretty much everyone in the room.

The songs were often preceded by stories of their inspiration, sometimes about hard-luck-in-love. She bristled with self-assurance, cool and soul. The music and vocals combined in a catchy, hybrid beast reminiscent of Sheryl Crowe, a bit of Amy Winehouse and a dash of old Memphis blues.

With a tight band behind her, tracks like ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’ and the single ‘Fragile’ cut through strongest. David Medland on trumpet, baggy hat and wraparound shades particularly caught the eye and ear, adding flourishes and flavour to so much of the material.

Encouraging stuff from a promising new talent who is part of Extinction Rebellion’s musical arm Music Declares Emergency.

I hadn’t seen Connor Selby since a brief set at Ramblin’ Man Fair back in 2018. He’s done pretty well for himself in the meantime, winning a string of UK Blues Awards and appearing on bills that also included The Who and Pearl Jam. He’s also had a haircut.

But if the look was sharper than our last encounter, the performance remained reassuringly laconic. ‘I Can’t Let You Go’ opened with his troubadour baritone swamped in Hammond organ and luxurious brass loops. His first guitar solo was clear, emotional and unfussy. Qualities that hallmarked his playing throughout the show.

‘Falling in Love Again’ followed quickly and brought a catchy, jazz-infusion. The band were already hitting their straps and the slow blues of ‘I Shouldn’t Care’ gave space to Jonny Henderson to fill the auditorium with his lush organ instrumental. The first of many. Henderson was amazing all night. ‘The Deep End’ was another jazz-influenced track that invited the band to shine.

Alongside Selby and Henderson, Sonny B Winslow put in a rock solid shift on bass and Joe Anderton on second guitar brought some of his own delicious lead breaks to complement Selby’s immaculate work. Both clad in Blues Brothers shades, there was a lovely moment when Winslow had to slide his sunglasses down his nose so that he didn’t miss the time change cue from drummer Martin Johnson on ‘My Baby Don’t Dig Me’. Johnson kept everything tight and on track. He brought an intimate brush-drum feel to the stripped back ‘The Man I Ought To Be’, which worked so well in this warm venue.

Selby is demur on stage, respectful and polite to the audience without any showbiz indulgence. This suits the honest, open and almost melancholic blues-based songs he relates with such class. ‘My Baby Don’t Dig Me’ is a good cover of an old Ray Charles song and maybe that’s a good benchmark for what Selby is about.

‘Hear My Prayer’ found a country vibe and ‘You Hurt Me’ was tender and painful, both lit up with searing solos from Selby. I’d been lucky enough to see both Kenny Wayne Shepperd and Joe Bonamassa in the last month. In terms of quality, Selby is right up there with them, though not yet breaking through to the big time. He comes in at the other end of the blues spectrum, bringing introspection and a hint of vulnerability that is not so obvious with the other two.

‘How Blue Can You Get’ and the soulful ‘Show Me A Sign’ both featured extended solo passages from the band and there was a pretence at departing the stage before an encore, but they were back before they properly left. ‘Emily’ closed out the show. It was the rockiest, most immediate track in the set, with a bold chorus and it proved to be a fine way to end the evening.

The only way is up for Connor Selby and his band. They have a string or shows across the Summer. Definitely worth checking them out.

Review and photos by Dave Atkinson

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Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024

THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

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09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)