It must be interesting being a singer-songwriter. Free from the decision-making constraints of a full band, you have undisputed free reign to look and sing and smell just as you please. On the other hand, there's no one there to make you look better. I sampled the Guinness at King Tuts and whilst doing so, caught Foy Vance and Thom Stone.
A steady crowd had gathered for Thom Stone, a boy from England. Looking like he'd just fallen out of some trendy Soho bar, I wasn't expecting much more than a few slurred words and for him to collapse gracelessly. Thankfully, it was just a pretence. Opening with "Southbound Train", this young man became 20 years older in an instant. Belying his tender age, he delivered a powerful set of folk songs with an obvious American influence, illustrated by an emotive rendition of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone".
King Tuts was nearing collapse as Foy Vance took to the stage. Now, charisma is often what separates a successful singer-songwriter from the one that plays the pub circuit until he succumbs to cirrhosis of the liver. Foy Vance positively reeks of charisma, and the turnout was testament to his ability. Sure enough, he didn't let his fans down.
There's every chance that a large denomination were present only because of their love of the televison series Grey's Anatomy, which featured "Indiscriminate Act of Kindness", but to state that as fact would be an unfair reflection on Vance's performance. However, it is not unfair to say that Vance's confidence in his own ability portrays him as a better performer than his act suggests. The act ended on a rather sweet note: a sample of Foy's daughter singing.
By no means Dylanesque, this ice-cool lad from Bangor is still in the infancy of his musical career. However, if he continues to perform as he does, he'll have no problem rounding up the fans for years to come.