Newton Faulkner’s music can only be defined as the ultimate in easy-listening. His chilled out atmosphere and feel good music makes him a delight to listen to and even more of a delight to see live.
The Engine Shed filled with a huge range of people from across Lincoln to witness his debut appearance on Saturday. Just off his time as Billy in the West End musical American Idiot – based on the Green Day album of the same name – this gig was a bit of a one-off away from touring, yet he gave it his all and pulled out some classics for the fans.
Newton had recruited some great warm up acts that fit with his own district chilled out vibe. The night started with a set from Lauren Rycroft who is a local performer from Lincoln. The 20-year-old has her own EP out and has said that 2016 will be her break into the wider industry. She kicked off the gig with some powerful, and somewhat dark tracks from her own collection.
Following up Lauren was a duo called Sound of the Sirens. This pair have dubbed themselves as a “female folk/rock duo,” which is pretty accurate. They came onto stage both in denim dungarees, saying: “We’d like to make a public service announcement and apologise for our outfits. No, we are not adult twins. Just try not to hate the double denim.”
This cheeky style and comedy translated into their music. The pair were strong and original. I managed to catch them at the end of the show, and it seemed they were just so excited to be in Lincoln.
Before long the man himself took to the stage, with nothing but a few guitars and a pot of tea. For those who haven’t seen Newton Faulkner before this is standard tradition and I believe he’s gone on record expressing his love for tea.
Kicking off the set with a classic from his first album, Newton set the mood as chilled but buzzing from the get-go. His charming and relaxed attitude on stage translated into the crowd as fans that spanned generations just stood in awe of his incredible guitar skills.
An interesting part of his set was when he pulled out a rather unusual guitar. To those unknowning, it was just a normal electric guitar, but as he showed off in a few of his tracks this was something rather special. Newton explained that it was a prototype that allowed him to play a variety of different sounds by tapping the guitar in different places.
Anyone who’s seen him live will know that part of Newton’s style uses percussion played on his guitar. This new one will allow him to make even more awesome music on the go, and possibly make his style easier for others. That is if the prototype goes any further.
Another usual trick for Newton is covering tracks in his own style this time, we were treated to a rendition of the theme to the classic kids cartoon Arthur. The crowd knew the classic instantly and sung along to the “rhythm of the street.” He continued the set with a range of tracks across his six albums and threw in a few numbers for us fans to sing along to.
He finished the set with something that I, as a huge fan, have been waiting to see live for years: Newton Faulkner’s rendition of the classic Queen track Bohemium Rhapsody. Look it up, as it’s truly something to behold.
The set was a great mix of tracks from across the years and really encapsulated his range of music. I will always recommend Newton Faulkner to anyone and if you can see him live even better