It was a wet and windy evening that brought me to Bristol to see Sam Outlaw, one of the more impressive finds of 2016. I really took to the non-Nashville-based sound on his ‘Angeleno’ record, belonging more in the West, and having some wonderful Mariachi influences, probably both coming from his background in California, where the Mexican population is particularly large. Whilst I didn’t expect to hear much of this in such a small venue, the acoustic music spoke for itself, and the result was still somewhat original and something that the small crowd definitely responded to.
However good Sam was, the show was stolen by a young Bristolian band led by the wonderful Yola Carter. As soon as she opened her mouth for the first note of the evening, I just though ‘wow’. On a scale of 1 – Chris Stapleton, this young lady scored an ‘impressively high’, and truly is one of the best vocalists I’ve seen, and I’ve seen quite a few. I was fortunate that the venue was big enough to fit her huge voice in, and the crowd were very receptive to listening to the twangy British country music, with a very good reception for what I’m guessing would be an unknown local act for many in attendance. However good Yola herself was, the two guitarists accompanying her made the act complete, with on-point harmonies and slick chemistry on the strings. It’s definitely fitting that as soon as For The Country Record goes into hibernation, I find renewed faith that there are small acts out there that deserve championing, and this is definitely something I will continue to do.
Now for Sam Outlaw… before a gig I always know what the music is going to be like, and nine times out of ten I know it is going to be impressive. This was no different with Sam and Molly Jenson, who gelled musically with excellent harmonies and guitar synchronicity, as well as a decent amount of flirty banter which often included the audience, giving the tiny gig a really intimate atmosphere.
As he rattled through a 75 minute set, consisting of most of his ‘Angeleno’ album, as well as some tracks from his previous indie record ‘Nobody Loves’ and a very generous smattering of unheard songs from his next record, Sam seemed like a genuinely lovely human being; he was witty and personable, something that was picked up by the enthusiastic audience, who regularly burst into laughter and applause after one of Sam’s many conversations. I particularly appreciated the introduction to ‘Jesus Take The Wheel’ where Sam displayed the perfect amount of religious scepticism, joking about the UK being godless, and ‘having to believe in God because I’m American’. This kind of joking wouldn’t often be heard in a bar in Nashville or any of the more traditional country music spots in the South, and the fact that Sam can be so tongue-in-cheek about religion shows exactly why I respect him so much for not just following the crowd and yearning for acceptance.
I was hugely impressed with the whole evening, from Yola Carter blowing me away, to falling in love with Sam Outlaw. The atmosphere in The Tunnels was so incredibly warm, something that can’t always be taken for granted at UK country gigs. It was a brilliant evening, and something I will definitely look to repeat next time.
Originally posted here.
