Leon Bridges has already outgrown the Deaf Institute's music hall both figuratively and physically. His just released début album Coming Home is at number three in the UK album charts, and this show sold out so quickly that he's playing a venue ten times the size here in September. It therefore had the feel of a real event: everyone present must have realised that this was a one-off opportunity to see a rising star in such intimate circumstances. Adding to the sense of occasion, it also marked the end of the gig season until mid September, as artists concentrate on festivals and I on my other great passion. Leon's back story is inspiring: until being signed by Columbia Records in December, he was employed as a dishwasher in his home of Fort Worth, Texas, and the 25 year old exudes youthful enthusiasm. His break into the music industry is attributed to a chance meeting in a bar with White Denim guitarist Austin Jenkins. After coming to one of Leon's gigs a week later, he immediately offered to pay for session musicians and studio space.
Leon's break led to two demos being posted on Soundcloud in late 2014, and the first US tour came only in January this year. A support slot for Sharon van Etten (an artist known for carefully curating her openers) in New York in February also helped to raise his profile. Life changing opportunities are now arriving at an incredible pace, and he played Glastonbury before the start of this first UK tour. As the band opened with Better Man it was immediately obvious why Austin Jenkins was so impressed: the energy in the room was palpable. Dressed in black tie, Leon's charisma as he moves on stage is infectious, despite the fact he's relatively softly spoken. His interventions between songs were brief, often starting before the applause subsided, but he was always endearingly courteous, and kept emphasising that his desire for us all to be happy. He should have no concerns on this front: this was one of the most joyous events I've experienced this year.
Leon's voice is smooth and honeyed, yet the electricity came from a team collaboration rather than solo effort. The six piece band crammed onto the stage sounded incredibly tight, encompassing bass, rhythm and acoustic guitars; a female backing singer, and a tenor saxophonist added a rich sonority. Aside from the first encore where he played guitar, the band gave Leon the freedom to concentrate on his vocals and dancing. This ambitious scale makes it clear that the touring act has been conceived for large venues from the outset. The reviewers who consider Coming Home to be derivative surely haven't seen the act live. The immediacy reminds me of the excitement of seeing another retro act for the first time in 2012, Alabama Shakes. At its best, music can transport you to another place and Leon strongly evoked the American South. Yet he was also able to transport the highly appreciative, rapt audience in time to the early 1960's.
At college, Leon was most interested in '90's R&B artists such as Ginuwine and Usher, but he altered direction after hearing Sam Cook's song A Change Is Gonna Come in Spike Lee's Malcolm X biopic. From this point he said: “I became so fascinated with that sound I wanted to recreate it exactly.”. He listened to every detail of this vintage soul on You Tube and Spotify. allowing him to go far beyond a mere tribute. The highly personal song Lisa Sawyer about his mother's life story demonstrates how he's assimilated the genre and made it his own. Yet, to me, the essence of Leon Bridges is in the closing number Mississippi Kisses. In common with the other encores, this song isn't even on the album. It was inspired by a visit to New Orleans with his saxophonist, and so draws on the spirit of jazz, and dance, leading to the entire room seemingly swaying and dancing in an escapist joy. After the disappointment of Natalie Prass here, my faith in live music was triumphantly restored during a magical 60 minutes. Don't miss an opporunity to catch this exciting new, and old, act.
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