King Creosote Review

This is the review I wrote for King Creosote, who I saw at the Sage, Gateshead on Saturday 26th January:

Before going to see Scottish folk singer King Creosote, I wondered whether the gig was going to be a low-key and even a slightly depressing affair. I approached the gig with some trepidation, worried slightly that I would get no enjoyment out of it, since I’m not really a folk fan.

What I found at the gig was a real surprise. Looking plain and admittedly a bit scruffy, King Creosote joins his support act, Pip Dylan, on stage to help with backing vocals. There was a light-hearted atmosphere throughout Dylan’s set, with the pair laughing and sharing anecdotes in-between songs. The set ended with the pair, the band, and the whole audience in fits of laughter at their stories.

King Creosote re-emerged later on, still in high-spirits. Despite looking completely calm and relaxed, he revealed later on that he was stunned by the amount of people who’d come to watch him perform. He played a couple of songs on his own before being rejoined by his band and working through a cheerful set of his folk-infused songs. He went through numbers such as new single Admiral, Down at the W.A.L, Home in a Sentence and You’ve No Clue Do You, pointing out, proudly, that they’d reached 93 in the charts with that song because 354 people had bought it. His tales added more life to a lot of his songs, giving them more depth and revealing the inspiration behind them. It was good to see an artist having fun on stage, as most bands nowadays are incredibly focused and serious about what they play. The night’s joyful mood was summed up when King Creosote moon-walked back on to the stage for the encore. It was refreshing to see someone who engaged the audience and enjoyed performing their material.

I left the gig feeling elated and amazed that I’d enjoyed it so much, maybe even a little sad that it had ended! There was something for everyone, whether it was the music or the witty banter. King Creosote has taught me not to dread gigs that I think aren’t my sort of scene and to go in with an open mind.

What I omit from this review was the appalling state and manners of some of the audience. Half of the people sitting around me were drunk and noisy, talking about everything and anything nearly all of the way through the gig and if it wasn't for the King's banter then I might have absolutely hated the gig - as it was, some of the quieter, more thoughtful people aroud me were getting very annoyed. I pose this question: what on earth has happened to people attending gigs? Do they not know how to behave anymore?!