Last night Joe Hicks performed at the award-winning Salford pub and music venue The Eagle Inn, as part of his first full-band tour across the UK. And, despite the crowd being a modest one to say the least, he and his band performed incredibly - filling the space and beyond.
They all had great chemistry and seemed, at least from their onstage rapport and personas, to have a good friendship. They were incredibly tight in their performance and played together beautifully.
Leading man himself, Joe Hicks, led us through his emotions and his exploration of the human experience in this gig - with stunning vocals and an engaging stage presence. Pausing every now and then to introduce a song - or his band members - as well as making the occasional joke with the audience, Hicks and his band were incredibly likeable. His band included Ed Broad, Giles Stelfox, Tom Millar and Sam Winfield (who also produced the album).
Joe Hicks is known for blending pop, blues and folk, combining intricate guitar composition with classic pop song-craft. But I felt there were even more styles and variety intertwined within his songs last night - with some more indie, funk and soul influences sometimes seeping through.
All of the musicians were incredibly captivating to watch. Hicks’s vocals are as exquisite live as they are pre-recorded. He seemed effortless in both his smooth, velvety sounds as well as his more gravelly and gruff moments. And each musician played their instrument seamlessly. They mostly covered songs from Joe Hicks’s debut album “The Best I Could Do at the Time”, of which a deluxe edition was released on 3rd November. But they did play some older songs too.
Every song played was heartfelt and exuded emotion. From slower, sadder tracks to more upbeat, funky songs that I couldn’t stop myself dancing to - each track seemed perfectly crafted, with beautiful lyrics too.
Favourite songs of mine from the evening included track ‘Maybe When It’s Over’, which gorgeously contrasts a funky sound with more melancholic lyrics about comparing yourself to others and struggling to find your place in this world; “maybe when it’s over, you’ll tell me that it’s over,‘ cause I’ve been breathing under water”.
The song ‘Lost in Love’, a joyful track which celebrates the wonder of being in love, was another favourite of mine. I particularly loved the lyrics to this one, as a fan of metaphorical language that leans into magic and fantasy. “It's like the air's on fire when I'm breathing in, it's like some poison ivy touched my skin. And I can't deny I'm lost in love with you. All tangled up in shooting for the moon”.
And, of course, the debut single of this new album ‘Mirror Mirror’, which is a poignant look at the person you are becoming/have become, was another stand-out. The drums and guitar in this track highlight folksy and pop/rock influences. And the lyrics really speak to anyone (everyone) who’s ever doubted themselves and their future; “Mirror mirror won’t you take away my fears? ‘Cause I’m paranoid my reflection is showing the years”.
It felt very special to be part of such an intimate gig with this band in such an iconic venue. The Eagle Inn is, after all, a Grade II listed, hollowed-out Victorian terrace house - with some early 1900s original features remaining. So it is a gorgeous space - there’s no doubt about that - but I couldn’t help but feel like the band should be playing much bigger venues with a sound like theirs.
If you’ve been to any of my cabarets, you’ll know that I’m pretty obsessed with the band The Revivalists. And a saying they have is ‘10 or 10,000’ - meaning they’ll give the same amount of effort and energy to any crowd, whether it’s a small crowd of 10 or a huge one of 10,000. And I could tell Joe Hicks and his band have the same motto, knowingly or not. It felt like they gave the intimate gig last night the same treatment that they would a huge gig of 10,000. And I can’t help but think much bigger venues are around the corner for these talented musicians. Maybe they’ll be playing to 10,000 sometime soon.
