The magical John Myrtle opened the night up with some giddy yet many soft jangles while doing a short set of some of his music, to get the crowd ready for Cut Worms – and he did just that and more. Many of my personal highlights of the night were from his set, I really enjoyed the simple yet unique music he constructed alongside with his witty personality which shone through his presence on stage and the songs he sang.
Some of the short but sweet songs that really caught my attention ,as well as the crowds, included his new single ‘How Do You Break a Heart?’ which was one of the many “sad miserable songs about love” (his words not mine) which really advocated a gut-wrenching part of love. The painful side, which had a hint of nostalgia for me, had a comforting feeling of hurt which was intertwined with growth and this bled through the words, lyrics and melodies. It was like he was showing us a very vulnerable side of himself, and the crowd welcomed it with open arms.
This then was massively juxtaposed with his fun and hilarious songs about bugs and slugs (specifically about a ‘Spider on the Wall’ and ‘Cyril the Slug’). He then discussed with the crowd if a slug was an insect and bug, which caused the crowd to erupt with laughter again. However, these songs were melted with metaphors which caused them to still have a unique, intimate part of them, these insects noticing the small parts of life, which really resonated with me. He made something so small and obscure into art, and that’s what is so talented about Myrtle!
John Myrtle is a British singer/songwriter, who is originally from Birmingham and is now based in London who sings and writes songs with a modern 60s feel to them, influenced by jazz, British rock and soft rock. His music is a weird concoction that works, you can’t help but love it. Myrtle really had an infectious vibe to him and I’m curious to see what he crafts up next.
Cut Worms was up next, just himself and his guitar had an immediate impact upon the whole room. He got onto the stage, clinging onto his guitar and immediately created a soft and relaxing atmosphere.
Max Clarke is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is categorised within the genres of indie rock, cowboy pop and garage rock; however, I feel he mixes these genres together with his unique voice. Something that really stood out to me is his transitions between songs, he merged them together, creating a mesmerising melody. Everyone was enchanted, like his music was hypnosis and he and his guitar were magicians.
As an English audience, we were told stories about American life through his songs in a beautifully melancholy way, especially in ‘Sold my Soul’. This was from his second album which has a hint of 60s Rock and tells stories to a modern world audience. It really advocates his passion for music.
The cover of ‘Tell her No’, by The Zombies, really highlighted where some of his influences come from, yet his raspy voice and slow, acoustic sound made it sound unrecognisable, and instead he made it his own. Although he was shy, and his interactions with the crowd were short, his songs overall said a thousand words.
The music created a room full of different types of people, from different backgrounds and different ages really showing how his music is universal. The lyrics themselves had a sense of heartfelt urgency to them when you listened closely, they were very reminiscent of the past yet were still and calm. Despite the little mishaps in the crowd (I guess that’s what you get when in Birmingham – it’s what makes us… different!) he really advocated his talent, and created a really enjoyable calming night, which is everything you need for a gig.