Cardiff Barfly
November 5th
Big beats and banjo's played with slide is always going to make for interesting listening but SK is so much more than just a crazy haired Irish man wanting to make a lot of noise. For this evening the "new wave Bob Dylan" takes position, unguided locks are tamed by a navy "outdoors" style cap accompanied by a check lumberjack style jacket, tattered Dallas cowboys t-shirt and brown trousers. A stage comprising of only his backing band aka "Logic Express" and slide projection screen displaying all of his drum loop mates, its the banjo that takes centre stage as the evening is kicked off with new tune "lil King Kong" the album opener on "2".
There's been comparisons made to the likes of "Get Cape Wear Cape Fly" but the only things these two have in common is the obvious one of an electronic back drop to their material but that's about as far as it goes. Even being the final date of the tour an "on form" SK launches into a performance that's so full of enthusiasm and character that he almost looked like he was enjoying himself! (for a moment). Midway through a set including tracks "The Twenty Something" and "A song of Stone" off the new record, " Truck On" "Staring At The Sun" and "Drugs" to name but a few off the debut, SK advises us all "if anyone wants to go get a drink or anything now's the time". "Don't think just because I'm playing a quiet song that everyone has to stop talking, I'm not bothered by all that stuff". We're then treated to an effortless version of the simplest tune ever to be put on record, "The Domestic Cat".
You can always be sure that SK will bring something new to the experience but nobody was expecting our first guest appearance for the evening. "Being green" was accompanied by none other than "Kermitt" perched wonderfully on a tree stump in the corner of the barfly the two fed off each other beautifully, putting to bed one of the most exciting duets since Pete Doherty and Elton john. "Serotonin" is the tune of choice to close the set and left the Barfly adamant in not letting SK escape to his sparklers.
An encore was on the cards if the crowd's reaction was anything to go by and we were not to be let down. Pausing for a moment for a refill we were treated to an electrifying rendition of "Hello" that was to be followed by the b-side to new single "Serotonin", "The Ballad of Elton John". SK asks all to help him out with the signature lyrics of the tune, "Celebrities go home, go home to your mamma!" which is a big two fingers up to all that is celebrity, but that doesn't stop him unveiling his final guests for the evening. The one thing with displaying your backing band on an overhead is that when your discussing your finale its difficult to keep it a secret. So as the mouse arrow hovers over "Average Man" Simple Kid is joined on stage by the one and only "Black Sabbath" and the SK experience is brought to head a with mash up of crowd favourite "Average Man" and Black Sabbath's "Paranoid". You always get the feeling you've been lucky to have been part of it when this guy is concerned and tonight is no exception. For once lets hope there's a "3".
by Neil
photography by Jay
