Gaz Brookfield - Exchange, Friday 28th February

The term ‘Local Legend’ can be attributed all too often but to those around the city who’ve seen the gradual emergence of D.I.Y. singer/songwriter Gaz Brookfield, it’s a more than appropriate title as the penultimate date of his latest tour reaches a packed rowdy Exchange.

Playing over 300 gigs a year without a label, manager, agent or (quite often) a reliable means of transport, the well travelled acoustic people’s poet is back in his adopted city after the release of outstanding 3rd album ‘In The Company Of Thieves.’  An even better proposition with a full band and fiddle behind him, it’s easy to see how he’s amassed such an army of admirers in the South-West and beyond.  For an entry fee of less than two pints, we’re treated to real quality throughout.  Ieuan Williams impresses early on, a young Welshman with a great future ahead.  Next up Sam Eason charms the crowd and gets them singing, the flame-haired bearded singer turns the air all warm and fuzzy.  Dueting on ‘Cliches’ with talented wife Beth on vocals and I can see a fair few blokes reaching for their partners shoulders in one of many moments of pop brilliance.

On to our headliner who bravely opens a gig in Bristol with an ode to Swindon; ‘SN1’ -whacking and knuckle-rapping his well-worn acoustic as he goes.  The band behind him appears well drilled and the perfect foil for his fast-paced accessible folk with violinist Ben Wain playing stealing the show on crowd favourite ‘Limelight.’  The autobiographical ‘Towns’ follows as a real highlight.  Not for the first time Brookfield successfully mixes humour and brutally honest sentiment with ease as we’re told (about his parents), “folk called them the Brookfields, I call them Mum and Dad” and more movingly, “coz playing songs to folk like you is what keeps me alive.”  I’m pretty sure he’s not exaggerating here.

Interaction with the audience is an essential element to any of his shows.  There’s a unilateral charge of glasses in honour of “every real musician” on witty anti-plastic pop anthem ‘Diet of Banality;’ with a clutch of proudly hoisted middle fingers at the mention of the dark lord Cowell.  ‘Tell It To The Beer’ sees the charismatic singer alone on stage with harmonica and guitar delicately taking us through his early career in a doomed rock band, the track dedicated to his former band members genuinely haunts and chokes before concluding “I wouldn’t change the life we led for any other.”  Having triumphantly tackled plagiarism (‘Frank and Sam’) and life on the road eating service station sandwiches (the fun folk-fest of ‘Land Pirate’s Life’), there’s a further writing maturity on recent single ‘Black Dog Day.’  It’s quite simply one of the best songs I’ve heard addressing the issue of depression, the lyrics made more poignant when dispatched with bucketloads of throaty passion and an unusually weighty alt-rock.

Musically there’s a case for Frank Turner meeting Dylan but substituting politics for the pursuit of happiness, unburdened by material trappings and rejoicing in living for today.  Final tune ‘Westcountry’ is a big event demanding participation and the multi-talented musician appears genuinely and rightly humbled by their vociferous reaction.  More comedy in the lyrics (forgetting London, he’d rather see the West End of the M4 corridor) but it’s an open homage to Bristol and further proof of a real bond between a singer and his home-town fans that is rarely seen.  Not for the first time I leave a Brookfield gig with the feeling that he really is one of them, living the dream for everyone one of them who in turn do their utmost to keep him going on the road.  Not a fortnight ago an emergency batch of merch was bought to help him pay for car repairs to continue his 25 gig February tour.  What still defies belief is that such quality can come from an unsigned artist with a gigging ethic that even Springsteen couldn’t match but similarly a man who lives to play live for his fans; their faith and support is certainly rewarded when he delivers an astonishingly good performance like this one.

Best track: Click on link below
Gaz Brookfield - 'Towns'

Buy albums here:
Gaz Brookfield Albums

Kindly published by Bristol 24-7
http://www.bristol247.com/2014/03/04/review-gaz-brookfield-exchange-bristol-97118/