Showman, Newton Faulkner, brings Octopus to Cardiff
Photos: Rebecca Young
Words: Rhys Reviews
★★★★★
Completing the trifecta of insanely talented artists at The Globe, Cardiff, was the headliner of the evening, the one and only Newton Faulkner. Being a recent convert to the church of Faulkner, I was only really aware of his newer tracks but the British singer-songwriter made sure that every person in the audience, regardless of how long they have been a fan, had something to enjoy!
Photo: Rebecca Young
He took the opportunity to not only showcase how much of a talented musician he is (through accompanying himself and taking some requests) and showcase the aforementioned album ‘Octopus’ but also let the audience experience how much of a showman he truly is. As I had only listened to the album virtually before this concert, I was not aware how chromatic and engaging Newton was as he had the audience in the palm of his hands from the moment he stepped on the stage. As you would expect the excitement had been building throughout the evening via his insane support acts Marie Naffah and NATI. Newton not only ensured the build-up was worth it, but also made sure it was maintained to the very end of his set.
Newton decided to open his set with a rendition of his much-loved original song ‘Gone in the Morning’ which talks about the grand ideas the narrator has in his dreams but the pressure from everyday life stops these things from becoming a reality. I have to admit that I was not particularly familiar with this song before this event but it is definitely a song that is making its way onto my everyday playlist.
Opening his set with such a well-known and high-energy tune instantly added even more excitement into the air as the audience went wild and roared the lyrics back at the musician with every fibre of their being. Using this song as his first performance on the stage was an insanely clever choice by Newton as it helped to maintain the excitement built up throughout and even managed to re-engage those who might have been a bit worn out from the two incredible warm-up acts.
From a song that I did not really know to a track that I absolutely adored in my album review was the beautiful original song ‘Spirit Meets the Bone’ which was even more elegant and heartfelt when performed live. The solo performer decided to strip back on the theatrics of this number by simply accompanying himself on the guitar with his own vocals so that the audience can purely focus on the mesmerising vocals on display. It does seem somewhat weird to say but a particular highlight of this number was the incredible vocal runs during a section where Newton simply sang “oohs” which was an absolute treat for the ears and allowed this number to be essentially a vocal showcase that did not disappoint. He then decided to take this show-stopping vocal display one step further by breaking down and explaining the harmonies to the audience so that they themselves could sing along which made for a truly unforgettable experience.
Newton decided to take a small break from the impressive musical display he had showcased throughout to share a behind-the-scenes story of the next original track the 2019 hit ‘Don’t Make Me Beg.’ He talked about how there are two versions of this song, a complex and tricky one he used for the recordings where he has a team of people supporting him and a simpler one he uses during live performance but, in a classic schadenfreude-inspired way, the audience actively forced him to attempt the more difficult version. Despite the initial hesitation, the performer did not seem fazed in the slightest as he showcased his incredible guitar skills (including some tremendous guitar percussion which is not something I have really seen before), while also showing the audience his vocal talents.
I cannot imagine doing either one of these things in isolation but Newton seemed totally at ease balancing these two unattainable skills which really proved how talented he truly is. One of the more poignant moments in the show saw Newton utter “it’s not the way I was raised” which beautifully captured the way people can oftentimes change during relationships and having to overcome ideals/ideas they have had since childhood which is both an incredibly powerful statement to make through song but also extremely emotional and raw for the performer to share.
Photo: Rebecca Young
If you have been lucky enough to see the Eurovision Song Contest movie on Netflix you will know that the fictional band involved are cursed by fans wanting them to sing a unique song called ‘Ya Ya Ding Dong’, despite the group themselves not being a big fan of this song. Newton used this story to introduce his 2019 original track ‘Dream Catch Me’, which is a song he is constantly asked to perform wherever he is. If this was a way of Newton liking the two songs together, I have to admit that I do not understand as ‘Ya Ya Ding Dong’ is purposefully built as a silly crowd pleasure where whereas his song is a beautiful piece of songwriting. The calm and peaceful opening of the track was captured beautifully by the performer which helped to flawlessly set up the musical journey of the song which the audience jumped at the opportunity to sing along. It must be fairly annoying to be asked to perform the same song wherever you go but it makes total sense as this was a particular highlight of the evening for me.
After a series of hilarious anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories of his songs, Newton took the opportunity to tap into a much more emotionally driven side to himself as he sang about a romance gone wrong through his original 2007 track ‘She Got the Time.’ This number talks about a potential love interest that falls apart because “She’s got the time but she doesn’t want to give it to me” which regardless of gender is something the majority of people in the audience have experienced at one point or another in their lives. The relatability of the message of this song allowed the audience to get truly invested as they belted the lyrics back at the performer which again created a truly unique and immersive experience for everyone involved. On top of this relatable message, when constructing this song Newton and his team clearly considered the shareable message as they injected it with a high-energy atmosphere and had crafted insanely catchy lyrics that stay in your head hours after the event had finished.
Overall, Newton Faulkner at The Globe, Cardiff showed everyone in attendance why he was the headliner of an evening jam-packed with incredible musicianship and performers. Newton was able to instantly capture the audience and did not let go until the very final closing moments of the show while having ample opportunities to showcase his incredible showmanship/musical talents and vocal abilities. I for one, will definitely be returning to the church of Faulkner at my nearest convenience as this was an evening I will not forget for a very long time!