Reviews
Artist:Sean Taylor
Venue:Tolpuddle Martyrs Fair Marquee
Town:Tolpuddle
Date:19/07/08
Website:www.myspace.com/seantaylorsongs
It's been ages since I've had so much trepidation going to see an artist play live for the first time. Sean Taylor's two releases to date, "Corrugations" and "Angels" have been impressive. "Angels" was Fatea album of the year for 2007. It means that his live performance has a lot to live up to.
Not that it should be a problem Sean is one of the most prolific giggers I know. He's at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Fair on the back of three performances at Glastonbury and when he's not playing venues, you can find him busking in and around London. With so many opportunities it's funny how it hadn't worked out before.
Sean's got duty of opening the music on the Saturday, normally a bit of a graveyard slot, the Marquee is pretty full. All the chairs are taken and there's plenty standing. A twelvish year old puts down his copy of Billy Bragg's biography as Sean takes to the stage.
If you're a blues/folk/singer-songwriter with left wing tendencies, Tolpuddle is one heck of a venue to be playing. Sean comments that he's a Kilburn lad and he's not played a lot of Dorset villages, it's a great one to start on.
Live it's just Sean, his guitar, an effects pedal and an occasional harmonica. I mentioned when reviewing his album that he doesn't waste a note, it's a similar story live.
There's not a lot of other English musicians that play like Sean. He's got a distinct troubadour style that hints towards Eric Bibb and Keb' Mo' with more than a little JJ Cale and John Martyn thrown in. The result is a sound that is distinct and original.
Sean draws on songs from both his albums. As you would expect his commentaries in song on Bush and Blair go down well here. "Shoot Them Dead" on the former proving particularly popular.
Another of Sean's targets is the cult of celebrity. Why should someone's opinion matter more because they've been on Big Brother or their family built up a chain of hotels. If the person is vacuous out of camera, why should their opinions in front of it matter?
Sean lets the songs do the talking, he's not here to preach. The songs are well thought out, designed to make you think and to an extent challenge the status quo. They found a welcome in the audience and a lot of positive reaction.
There was the obligatory plug for the albums, on sale at the back, but that apart it was a set focused on the songs. Ultimately it's a singers job to entertain, it doesn't matter how good your message is if you can't deliver it effectively. Taylor is a good orator, with song as his medium. He's a pretty good guitarist as well.
The between song banter is short, often restricted to what inspired a song or an anecdote around other times he's played it. Even so you get the impression that he'd connected with the crowd very early on.
He played original material to an audience, many of whom were hearing the songs for the first time. He definitely met the entertainment criteria. He chose to sign off with his only cover version of the night, Richie Haven's "Freedom", a great way to end any gig.
Keep an eye out for Sean, his "Angels" album picked up five stars in Maverick, his constant gigging is building him a reputation he's more than capable of living up to. The troubadour is a great part of music and Sean has the potential to be one of the best.