PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Attending something outside your usual comfort zone is good, and tonight I did just that! Not just a Blues/Americana gig, but an acoustic one to boot with Northern Irish blues maestro Dom Martin with support from Demi Marriner. And then there was the venue to account for too, being one of the auditoriums of Chetham’s School for Music, rather than a rock club or “normal” gig venue! So, did I survive this change of scenery, or suffer Death Metal withdrawal symptoms? Read on and find out!
Demi Marriner
Bless me, I had never heard of Demi Marriner until this gig. A very up-and-coming artist in the Blues/Americana scene, Demi politely introduces herself to us, before leading off with a song called “Sins“. With a sweet clear voice that is immediately richer than her speaking voice, Demi sets the tone for her set. Bordering on the Americana/Country border musically the song is upbeat and not maudlin like a lot of this genre.
For her next song, Demi muses on how there is no glitter ball in the venue, so she opted to wear a very sparkly sequinned and rhinestoned top that to quote her “Makes me sound like a rainmaker!”. With this humorous note, we then move into “Distorted Desires” A song about that kind of love that makes you question yourself, which illicits a fine round of applause.
Another little story next about the time she was invited to the House of Songs in Arkansas where artists who don’t know each other do workshops and write songs together. The story goes, that after the writing sessions, the hosts told everyone they were taking them out for the day. Demi, hoping to see the Ozark mountains, instead found herself at the International Squirrel Cook Out competition!!! “I never knew you could eat squirrel let alone how many ways there are to cook it!”. This whimsical tale leads us into one of the songs she wrote there with Elles Bailey (I think that’s what she said!) called “One Way Conversation“.
Next up we have a new song called “Fire” which is rather splendid, and is followed up by two songs with the phrase “of me” in the title. “Best Of Me” is a rather punchy track that I’d like to hear performed with her full band and amped-up set, whilst “Think Of Me” is a heartfelt number that Demi sings from the heart.
The penultimate song “God Nor Devil” – muses whether there are people so bad that neither of the two titular protagonists would have them! And rounding off her set with “Little Boy” from her album “Things We Didn’t Say” she has delivered a very pleasant and chilled set, showcasing all her talents. Letting us know she will be around fangirling at Dom Martin when he takes the stage, she bids us goodbye for now…
Set List
Sins, Distorted Desires, One Way Conversation, Fire, Best Of Me, Think Of Me, God Nor Devil, Little Boy
Dom Martin
After a brief 15-minute interval, it is time for the man of the evening to take to the stage. As with Demi, Dom Martin is an artist I have had no previous knowledge of, so again I go in with an open mind and ears. After a brief hello and introduction, Dom’s set begins with “The Fall” which immediately shows off his fingerpicking skills bringing out a delicate and slightly haunting melody. And No, it’s not a song about Mark.E.Smith or a cover of the Gary Numan song of the same name!
From the spectral beauty of the first song, Dom follows it up with an old classic number “Jelly Roll Baker” originally by blues legend Lonnie Johnson. It’s at this point, that on certain notes, the acoustic guitar can generate the power I’d normally expect from a proper heavy gig. That gave me a goosebumps-up-the-neck thrill… Marvellous!
A couple of new and unrecorded songs blended into each other in a medley style come next. I’ve not paid attention to the names, as I’m chilled and fully immersed in the music and Dom’s gravelly baritone voice.
Dom now relates to us about how he is now 10 years clean and sober after hitting drink and drugs whilst being homeless. He dedicates the next two songs to Audrey & Fenton his management who he says ‘helped him get out of that hole’. So we get “Easy Way Out” and “Belfast Blues” playing into each other. I realise here that I have heard Belfast Blues before but in the full electric studio version. A great song that translates beautifully to the acoustic set, again, hitting some powerful jolts I wasn’t expecting!
For the rest of the set, Dom is joined by bass player Ben Graham, ably equipped with a Hofner Violin bass (The type favoured by Paul McCartney in his Beatles days). I remarked on this to him after the show, and he says it’s great for acoustic shows as it’s a hollow-bodied guitar! You live and learn! Anyhow, back to the songs and with the pump of bass behind him giving an extra dimension to the music, Dom gives us “Hell For You”. Despite its title, this is cool laid-back blues, very soothing!
Again I’m just carried away listening to the musical interplay of the bass, Dom’s delicate fingerpicked melodies, and those rich vocals, so I miss the titles of several songs. I’d normally just note them down, but I am caught under the Northern Irish blues spell he is weaving.
Dom lets us know we have a couple of songs left, starting with the rather delicate “Dog Eat Dog“, before he and Ben are joined on stage by Demi for the finale. And it’s a good foot-stomping number well worthy of rounding the set-off. The song in question is the last single Dom released called “Daylight I Will Find”, an upbeat feel-good song that allows some nice vocal interplay between Dom and Demi on certain lines.
Of course, as all three depart the stage, the sold-out crowd (me included) are shouting out for more. After a quick break, Dom and Ben are back to deliver us a rousing encore, a medley of two tracks “The Rain Came“, and “Dealer“. Both of these tracks build to quite intense and powerful final sections. “Dealer” in particular is my favourite of the night, though I have enjoyed every minute!
Well, I have to say that I’m glad I did take the plunge and attend this gig. It far exceeded my expectations, and I left with a smile and a new appreciation for acoustic sets! Dom is doing a full band tour in November, so I shall definitely be attending at least one of those dates! See the dates below.
Set List
The Fall, Jelly Roll Baker, Played/Haunted, Easy Way Out/Belfast Blues, Hell For You, Mercy, The River, 12 Gauge, Dog Eat Dog, Daylight I Will Find.
Encore: The Rain came/Dealer
BURIED ALIVE TOUR DATES 2024
2 NOV. EDINBURGH. LA BELLE ANGELE.
3 NOV. NEWCASTLE. THE CLUNY.
4 NOV. LEEDS. BRUDENELL.
5 NOV. CHESTER. LIVE ROOMS.
6 NOV. SHEFFIELD. GREYSTONES.
7 NOV. GRIMSBY. YARDBIRDS.
8 NOV. LONDON. WATER RATS.
9 NOV. NEWBURY. ARLINGTON ARTS.
10 NOV. WHITBY BLUES RHYTHM ROCK FESTIVAL.
26 NOV. CORK. THE PAVILION.
27 NOV. DUBLIN. WHELANS
28 NOV. LIMERICK. DOLANS
29 NOV. L/DERRY. SANDINO’S.
30 NOV. WARRENPOINT. SKYLITE ROOM.
1 DEC. BELFAST. MANDELA HALL.
4 DEC. MANCHESTER. NIGHT AND DAY.
5 DEC. SOUTHAMPTON. 1865.
6 DEC. LOOE BLUES RHYTHM ROCK FESTIVAL.
Website: https://www.dommart.in/
