After a tricky start with tech difficulties on his borrowed amp, these are soon sorted and we start the gig proper. This particular Felice brother specialises in the story telling song writing style taking us all on various journeys through America introducing us to a myriad of characters, emotions and circumstance.
Over here promoting his new rather excellent album ‘The Projector’ most of these tracks are aired tonight. The sparse one man and an electric guitar suits these songs and the crowd are quiet and still in reverential silence throughout. He has a unique voice that is difficult to compare if comparison were needed.
Midway through the set Felice tells a story of walking along the Thames and stumbling across a sign on a wall saying ‘Take Courage’ commenting on how appropriate that is at our time in this world. Ignoring the fact that it’s an old advertising sign for a brewery over here, but taken at face value it’s not a bad mantra to live by.
Felice leads a few choreographed sing alongs on ‘Bye bye Palenville’ and ‘Radio Song’ encouraging us to find our inner gin soaked sailor carousing on the Thames. There’s a lot of reciprocated love in the room and if he had asked us all to conga out of the venue down to the river I’m sure we would have followed this pied piper of Americana.
In terms of highlights I think a lot of the new songs are immediately accessible and stand up for themselves on this their first live outing. From the back catalogue ‘Union Street’ and aforementioned ‘Radio Song’ stand out for me.
With the ten year anniversary release of the second Felice Brother album slated for this year it is too much to ask to see Simone reunited with his family live again.
‘Till the next time, keep on rockin’ y’all.