Saturday 25th April 2009 @ Colston Hall Bar, Bristol

Stunningly powerful vocals made for a smooth, soulful evening of Bristol’s premier male vocalist.

From my cross-legged position on the faded red carpet of the Colston Hall Bar, I look around at the audience who have each come to celebrate in the release of Phil King’s much anticipated second album They Come And They Go. There are groups of three or four seated around coffee tables at the front of the room, interspersed with people, like myself, enjoying the comfort of the soft carpeting, with the rest standing around the edges and at the back of the room. While some may see the somewhat crumbling surroundings of the bar a poor substitute for the sheer decadence of the newly refurbished foyer next door, this backdrop created the perfect sense of intimacy that seems embedded within every Phil King performance.

We begin with a personal favourite, This Girl Of Mine, a beautiful love song that instantly captures the crowd. The night plays out with the entire new album, together with a few more classics from his first album, Leaves, and the occasional cover thrown in for good measure. It is soulful melodic vocals at their best and each song is met by huge appreciation from the crowd of whom he connects with between each and every song; his endearingly wide smile greeting us at every turn.

For the encore we are treated to just Phil and his guitar with South For The Winter which truly showcases his ability to mesmerise an audience even without the support of the superb talents of guitarist James Forster and drummer Sam Hammond. His humble thanks go to all those involved in making the album, as he states that “being in Bristol and being surrounded by all these unbelievably talented artists is a privilege.”

Phil King has the voice, the presence and the sheer likeability that could keep me listening to his records long into the early hours. He never fails to impress and after this, his second album, may there be many, many more.

www.phil-king.net

Steph Burns