A break in the glum weather has finally hit for Brighton, the suns out, the wind has settled. So what could be better than an evening of wrenching heartbreak songs courtesy of Luke Sital-Singh? I need myself grounded back in reality.

The Hope tonight is packed and the room soon becomes sweltering. The stage has been fitted with atmospheric lightbulbs, which add a nice touch to the set. As Luke later quips, “I thought I’d make this a bit of a show”. Tonight is not short of quips by any means, Luke has a self-aware humour about his music, at points it borders on self-deprecating but the cheers and applause don’t lie.

He comes onstage to a huge applause and the room turns down into silence and he goes into his first song. Luke’s very well versed in his performance and playing, his guitar tone is spot on, he knows exactly how to project his voice and how to use the microphone to full effect. His voice is powerful, it’s easy to forget that it’s only him and a guitar on stage. His range and delivery are flawless, every word and note is clearly without a noticeable slip.

Announcing to the audience that his second album Time is a Riddle was released two weeks ago. He then jokingly tells the audience to applaud loudly when he plays a new song, once announced the audience give a huge cheer before he reminds them to do it after he’s played it. It’s this kind of humour that draws his audience in, there’s a certain humility and vulnerability which goes hand in hand with his songs.

Luke’s songs are very emotional and tend to come close to the melancholic. It’s something he jokes about through the night; he’s dubbed this his “Magical Misery Tour”. The music is raw and does tug a little at you. This, played off with his flawless technique, makes the songs so powerful. They’re all quite minimal as it’s just him with a guitar and a piano, separately of course. What makes it effective is the fact that they’re all relatable songs and very real. It’s almost irritating as I find myself getting lost in the music and end up thinking about things I didn’t really want to draw on. But that’s just a testament to how well he manages to put across a feeling. I think at this point I can safely admit that his music isn’t massively my bag, but his performance is powerful and it’s easy to see why his fan base cherishes him.

As his set draws to a close he announces the last song, which gets a sigh from the audience, to then only add that it’s not really the last one and he has two more left. He whips out a 12-string guitar, which adds a new dimension to his sound. His guitar technique is worth noting, he plays so fluidly, keeping a rhythm going as well as demonstrating considerable technique. It’s especially impressive considering he’s also busy projecting his voice and watching his mic technique.

Luke is certainly a very impressive songwriter and performer. A great musician, who I’m sure will get the huge recognition he’s due in the near future. He’s won over critics and is expanding slowly but, surely with his fanbase and with his latest album, give it one more and I can only imagine we’ll be seeing his name everywhere.
Chris Middleton

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