The UK's answer to Ryan Adams...?

Well what do you know people? Today is the sixth, yes sixth successive day I've found something exciting to sit down and write about. You'd have thought by now that I' have run out of ideas but oh no no no, we're carrying on a pace, because I haven't quite finished reviewing things from a week ago.

So tonight I'm going to begin with a quote of my own from some months ago...

"So how many of us are guilty of doing this? We book tickets to see a band or a musician we really like, we find out what time they're on and then what do we do, either turn up late or sit outside drinking beer...all the time not knowing or hearing what's going down on stage," (July 16th - "The Power of Support Acts").

Never a truer word spoken and to be fair I may have partially fulfilled this myself last week. On turning up to Koko to see Joshua Radin, we spent ages messing around waiting to put our jackets into the cloakroom and then getting the beers that we missed most of the first support act. What I did hear of this act sounded ok, but again, how much can you tell from a distance, not paying attention and trying to struggle through a noisy crowd.

So as the night ended and on the way out of Koko, I pitched up at the merch booth and decided to buy a CD from the first support act, partially as a guilty apology and also to share the wealth and make a musicians dream more of a reality. Wow that sounds so "up myself" but those of you who know me will understand I do things like that.

So Tuesday and Wednesday came and went and then on Thursday I finally added the CD in question to my iPod and since then have been swept away.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Guys and Girls, Kids, Music Lovers...I want to introduce you tonight to the incredible unsigned amd unbelievable BRITISH talent that is...THOMAS J SPEIGHT.



By now you must know I am a massive fan of good singer/songwriters, but the bar is set so high by the likes of Jay Nash, Josh Ritter, Ryan Adams, Chris Seefried and the UK's very own super talent Greg Holden that most singer/songwriters just get filtered out, that's harsh I know but the reality is that greatness stands out a mile off, so when you come across someone befitting of that illustrious company it needs sharing and Thomas is on the evidence thus far befitting of that company.

I can't comment really on his set at Koko as I only heard it from a distance (shame on me!) but what I can do is comment on his EP, This House. The 3 songs are just...amazing, nothing short of amazing and I think even that word doesn't quite do it justice. Sitting somewhere musically between Ryan Adams, Josh Ritter and Jay Nash with a hint of Eagles, CSNY and Low Stars chucked in for good measure, its scarcely believable that Thomas Speight heralds from the UK. In fact if you knew no better having listened to the EP and to Thomas' vocals, you'd assume he heralded from the US. I have no idea where the musical influence comes from and maybe in time I'll find out when I get to see Thomas play again but it certainly I doubt originates from these shores.




What strikes me even just as much is the level of intricacy and level of craftsmanship in each of the songs, from the lyrics right through to the music and it's most evident in the opening track This House. There's a hidden depth that means after 20 plays I'm still finding things that I haven't noticed before. It's the work of an incredibly talented artist and one who's taken meticulous care to produce songs he clearly wanted to. The other 2 tracks on the EP, Tears Of Mine and Start As We Mean To Go On, are of a rare and exceptional quality and feel like they should sit alongside any of Ryan Adams best stuff in my opinion.

I just cannot evangelise enough about how blown away by Thomas' music I am. You all will be and you all must, must, must go and check him out. How someone seemingly so young can produce such amazing music is totally beyond me. You know the only crying shame, the EP isn't on iTunes but you can buy it through Thomas' myspace page.

And that folks, finally after 6 days concludes the music action of the last week in reverse. It has been the most incredible week, I feel this musical journey I am on becomes more worthwhile by the day AND most importantly that my view some months ago when I wrote my original profile is ever more correct...Live Music is unbeatable.

From an autumnal UK...night all x