Eugene McGuinness - Parr Hall, Warrington, 17/8/2012

  by Harry Sherriff

published: 27 / 8 / 2012

intro

New Pennyblackmusic writer Harry Sherriff watches singer-songwriter Eugene McGuinness play an intense, but attention-demanding set at a gig at the Parr Hall in Warrington in support to Miles Kane and to promote his new album, 'The Invitation to the Voyage'

Hours before Eugene McGuinness took to the stage in Warrington he revelled in telling me a major influence behind his new album “…I wanted something that sounded great in your car!” ‘Harlequinade’, a cracking groove of a song, opens the set. The drums and bass, like they are for the rest of the gig, are in perfect harmony. and as the track finishes I know I’ve got a new addition to the inevitable Route 66 play list. Up next is ‘Lion’, a riffy tune that like Eugene has a laidback coolness to it. It is a song that doesn’t need to show off, and, clearly a crowd favourite, I defy anyone to keep still during the opening 30 seconds of this track. My song of the night goes to a keys heavy ‘Joshua’, an understated pop gem that recalls the lush sounds of Roy Orbison in his prime. It is a subtle song that really shows off McGuinness’ range as a songwriter. The Parr Hall audience is warmed up now and Eugene is more than on his way to earning crooner status. He’s definitely a front man with the potential to work a crowd, and, although the set time is tight, he also does his best to interact with the fans in-between songs. The only slight bump in the set list came in the form of a cover of Ian Brown’s 'Dolphins Were Monkeys'. I like it when bands have fun onstage covering their favourite artists but with Eugene's own new album, 'The Invitation to the Voyage', out just six days earlier I found it an odd decision. Going by the crowd reaction to the swaggerish earworm ‘Sugarplum’ received minutes earlier, I wasn’t the only one disappointed with this atmosphere dampener. As the impressive noir tune ‘Shotgun’ kicks in you can forgive yourself for thinking you’ve heard it in a British gangster film, but you haven’t, not yet anyway. It is another Eugene song that is thrusted forward relentlessly by a slick bass line and impressive drumming, and a standout sing-along track that brings out the best in the crowd as well as Eugene’s falsetto vocals. Also if you’re a fan of music videos, seek out ‘Shotgun’. It is half Daniel Craig’s Bond and half Don Draper sixties nightmare! In the pre-gig interview Eugene spoke so much about travel, mainly in context to the title of ‘The Invitation to the Voyage’ but also about touring as part of Miles Kane’s band last year. It is clearly something that’s been on his mind and filtered into his work. This set felt like an intense pop sound tracked journey, the kind befitting of a low-budget road-trip movie. As I drove away from Parr Hall I had at least two contagious pop songs from this set stuck in my head, battling it out to be hummed down the M58. Eugene McGuinness as an artist demands your attention. I just hope, slowly but surely, he gets it. Set List: Harlequinade 
 Lion 
 Joshua 
 Sugarplum 
 Dolphins Were Monkeys Shotgun 
 Thunderbolt The photographs that accomany this article were taken for Pennyblackmusic by Marie Hazelwood.

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