LIVE REVIEW: SEAN McCONNELL - ROBBIE CAVANAGH - THE GRACE - LONDON

It has to be said that as Robbie Cavanagh took to the Grace stage, he was greeted with something of a pea souper with the smoke machine working overtime, in London's most glitter balled venue. Robbie's set would be a game of 2 halves, that even came with it's own half time entertainment. Dressed in double denim, the first half of his set was what we would call the big band material. Although only solo, Robbie's playing is such that it is easy to envisage them scaled up into the full band recorded versions.

The opener "Hang Up" was initially a brooding verse that gradually ramped up in volume in intensity and volume in the pre chorus

"I don't want to have to say goodbye - this ain't feeling right

Baby when you're screaming down the phone, i guess I have the right"

before exploding into the chorus where you could instinctive feel where the percussion and big electric guitar chords should go.

There was a similar build up in tension during "Drove" as Robbie comes face to face with Notre Dame Cathedral which includes a pained delivery including a high pitched section. It was certainly attention grabbing. Dipping into his excellent debut album "To Leave / To Be Left" for "Get Out Alive", with it's powerful chorus, Robbie would stop mid song to get the audience to enhance a particular line - about providing a "deafening scream" before resuming the song which if there had been any justice in the world would have been storming single with it's clever lyrics and impassioned delivery.

Things would take a strange diversion as Robbie would move to the right of the stage, where there was a lecturn of sorts and a light which Robbie would turn on, while the background music played a female Beatles cover of "Day Tripper". Robbie would turn into a raconteur recalling how he met Sean as he mixed himself a Jack Daniels and ice. On making the drink he would then turn off the light and and resume the second half of his set, which was a more intense bluesier - equally entertaining just in a different way.

This section would start with "Thinkin' Of Leaving", the pace was slower, but Robbie would stretch his vocals while his guitar playing seemingly became more intricate. "Helpless" hit a similar slower picked groove, with Robbie incorporating more higher pitched delivery - it manage to weave a spell of the assembled audience who watched on transfixed. The set would seem to be about to close with "Hungover", just as Robbie was told he had a little longer left to play!. A more soulful delivery showed Robbie to be equally adaptable of a range of styles. The "bonus" song would turn out to be a new one to #TEAMw21, "We Need To Talk", which had Chris Stapleton undertones in the guitar playing, which is no bad thing and would once more see Robbie add drama by raising the volume to a full throated delivery to great effect.

The last time #TEAMw21 witnessed Sean McConnell was at an inspired Opry performance in Nashville, where some of the songs from "Skin" were played with a full band and choir, tonight it would be just Sean, who at first seemed positively tiny filling the space recently vacated by the much taller Mr Cavanagh! Opening with "Demolition Day", Sean would open with an intense strum evoking an almost Tom Petty vibe before moving on to another song from his recent album, playing on the words "Missing Person", to refer to "Someone I used to know"

A blast from the past would come with "Holy Days", sounding as imperious as it had done when #TEAMw21 first heard it during the Texas Takeover as the same venue in 2017, followed by "one of two happy songs" in his set, in "Best We've Ever Been" delivered with real feeling. The songs from "Skin" were highly impressive in this stripped back format "Take It Easy Darlin'" had an intensity and had the audience gripped. Equally the slow pained blues of "Rest My Head" from "Secondhand Smoke" magnificently echoed around The Grace to great effect.

"Look, mama, I'm famous

See my picture on the wall

People say that I'm shameless

They say I got no soul"

At this point Robbie Cavanagh once more took the stage fulfilling Sean's need to jam with someone. They made for an unlikely combo with Robbie towering over Sean but together they would make the sweetest music. Starting with "Shaky Bridges", Robbie seemed to add the additional soulful feeling, with his high harmonies that suited the song so well. Robbie would then take on the second verse, it fitted him like a glove. This would start a quite stunning run of songs, "Secondhand Smoke", always the most perfectly lyrically painted song that sees the characters virtually appear as Sean describes them, was now made even more striking with Robbie's contributions. The unlikely duo would have one more song together in the shape of "Greetings From Niagara Falls" for Sean's family back home, breathtakingly beautiful.

After a quick retune of his guitar it was back to "Skin" for "Southside of Forever", given even more meaning for the UK crowd on hearing that it was composed on a previous UK trip.

For Sean's daughter back home, who had been through a number of medical procedures, the feelings of "Everything That's Good" were plain to see and hear on a most remarkable, passionate version. The audience had joined in as well and certainly found their voice for "Mercy", Sean's number one song, sung by Brett Young.

Always a highlight of any Sean McConnell show, is the his family history in "Queen Of St Mary's Choir", with its proud chorus

"Won't you remind me

That I've got my mothers heart

And I've got my father hands

I've been baptized in the water

And I came up a music man

And I'm a husband, I'm a father"

More trips to "Skin" would come with "The West Is Never Won", a perfect blend of guitar and harmony. An audience throw out for a request resulted in lots of deep cuts being suggested - however finally Sean settled on "Divinity"

Sean may have threatened that he might not remember the words before then going on to deliver an impeccable moving version. He would wear a big smile at a massive audience cry of "Wow" on completion. It was certainly a splendid way to close out the main set.

For an encore Sean would step from the stage and go unplugged - it would prove to be the icing on the cake of a most excellent evening - as "Shine Your Light On Me" would see The Grace becoming a choir singing in unison.

As excellent company off stage as he was entertaining on it - an evening with Sean McConnell never fails to deliver.