From a cold, wet Leeds Headrow to the welcome of The Northern Monkey, The Beat Surrender Presents: Tom Hingley. True, the former frontman of the psychedelic punk band Inspiral Carpets was headlining this Sunday, but much of the crowd had come to watch the gentleman of the Leeds circuit, Mr Gary C. And, in sharp contrast to what the Leeds weather was up to outside, what we got was a warm and friendly set, but then you’d expect nothing less from Mr Gary C. Oh, apart from note perfection, intricate acoustics and a lot of fun of course!

Kicking off with one of his all-time favourites, Gary opened with the familiar swing classic “Mack the Knife”. Johnny Cash’s “If I Were a Carpenter” also featured, but the polished set was largely original, a combination of Gary’s EP tracks and others never before played to a live audience.

You get the sense that Gary loves people and is truly grateful for his loyal following as he takes time between tracks to talk to the crowd and lay bare his motives and inspirations for his songs. Such graciousness, combined with a true love of performing, is nothing short of charming, and sets like these endear him still further to those watching. An old romantic at heart, it was no surprise that love featured throughout the performance, and tracks such as “Three Cheers for the Underdog” and “A Tale to be Told” became at once beautiful and believable if not conveying a touch of vulnerability.

The finale was the upbeat “A Little Bit Easier”, a cheerful track with a great hook, but the highlight of Gary’s set for me had to be “The Way She Walked”. Chatting after his performance, Gary was clearly apprehensive about playing it for the first time at the gig, but he pulled it off and the crowd clearly loved it.

A stripped back, pared down track, it was the perfect platform for Gary’s rich soulful voice. Quite unlike anything else played before, and with only a repetitive simple bass line for company, accompanied by a bit of guitar slapping for percussion, this was a seriously stylish and sexy track.

One man and an acoustic guitar - entertaining to the very end. One man playing only one string on an acoustic guitar – brave, confident and truly talented.

Anouska Semp

(photography by Kevin Petch)

Read more reviews of Gary C's music here