Bobby Long’s intimate gig at the Northern Quarter’s Night & Day Cafe was the perfect venue for what he described as a homecoming show.
The Wigan-born singer who’s from ‘just down the road’ performed a beautiful set on Wednesday night, featuring songs from his newest album Ode to Thinking.
The album was recorded in Texas which he said was imprinted on the sound, but his chat with the audience highlighted his connection with Manchester.
The album is about the good and the bad and ‘a few knobheads as well’, which he joked was great to say in a place where people understand it, because it doesn’t quite work in Germany.
After performing at Glastonbury this summer and touring around the world his return to Manchester was welcomed by the crowd as he effortlessly played each track.
Great night listening to @BobbyLongNews at @nightanddaycafe tonight!!! Awesome gig pic.twitter.com/MPPljkOPgU
— Charlotte (@CharlotteKReads) November 4, 2015
He performed I’m Not Going Out Tonight, which he said always makes him want to go out after playing it, especially in Manchester, because he loves it so much.
After touring for months he said he’d tried giving up beer but people just keep buying it.
He described his busy schedule of releasing an album and getting married as ‘fucking nuts’ – apparently when his wife heard Cold Hearted Lover of Mine he had a long day at the beach on holiday as she kept asking him who it was about.
The set included performances of 1985, the year he was born, which he said was ‘a shit year’, although I think last night’s crowd wouldn’t agree.
The soulful The Bounty of Mary Jane, harked back to his older music and was a highlight of the evening.
All the songs flowed into what felt like one big relaxing piece of music and his signature sound, which has been developed from his first self-released album in 2009, was able to successfully draw in the crowd.
With the likes of Ed Sheeran and Ben Howard in the charts and winning the awards there is definitely room for Bobby Long who expresses emotions we’ve probably all felt before.
Bobby should really be given more exposure, because he easily captures a universal feeling in his music, something he and listeners deserve to share.
Image courtesy of Burberry, via YouTube, with thanks.
