It’s rare to find an artist getting regular airplay on Radio 1 who I’m still interested in going to see live; even when I find a gem on Radio 1, they’ll generally be playing a sticky rock club venue supporting a excruciatingly boring headliner. Passionate Radio 1 listener I am not – it’s generally BBC 6 Music’s job to recommend bands I should see live. Benjamin Francis Leftwich is the artist that broke the rules on this point.
The past few months have seen Leftwich rise up through the ranks, releasing debut album ‘Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm’ in July and going from strength to strength ever since. His first full UK headline tour mostly sold out pre-sale, and the crowd at Norwich Arts Centre were positively excited. A weird mix of people had headed out to the show; some older, complete with Norfolk accents – others groups of girls only just passing the 14+ age restriction.
Two wonderful supports opened the evening, garnering unfaltering attention from an over-enthusiastic audience who had clearly already checked them out before coming along. First up was new Transgressive Management signing Monument Valley – A.K.A. Ned – followed by the completely exceptional Daughter, who we’ve been fans of since the beginning here at The Blue Walrus.
Leftwich comes on stage, guitar already in hand, fairy lights behind him and smoke billowing. “Alright, Norwich?” he says with a grin. The next fifty minutes are filled with beautiful, heartbreaking songs with an amazing textured quality to them. Ultimately, though, the power of Leftwich’s music lies in the lyrics, which are thought-provoking and well-established tales of love, religion and memory.
‘Pictures’, ‘Maps’ and ‘Atlas Hands’ were among my favourite tracks to hear live, and it was good to hear a couple of new tunes thrown in for good measure, hinting at a positive development for Leftwich beyond this first record. A remarkable gig and a gifted performer.