Cornwall-born, former Brighton resident Fink has been around for a number of years under a variety of different guises. Whether it be singing, songwriting, playing guitar, producing or DJ’ing, he’s always been able to conjure up thought-provoking, critically-acclaimed music. Returning to the Hungarian capital for the first time since 1999, his laid-back acoustic ambient and atmospheric blues was the perfect company to a beautiful Friday evening in Budapest.

With the musician now joined by a five-piece band, his live show has been expanded in order to really appreciate the trip-hop elements of his performance and, despite his lyrical style always giving off the impression that he’s a troubled soul, the double drumming and electrical instrumentation gave the show more of an upbeat, jovial feel.

His rugged vocals are the primal force behind it all though and despite his slight change in style over the years, his voice has remained the cornerstone of his music. He’s managed to keep it so that it’s not too overpowering but fits in perfectly with his tailored blues/folk/rock crossover, whilst still placing it in what feels like a completely natural space. The condensed layout of the Akvárium also gave off a theatrical vibe to proceedings, with the stupendously well designed and angle poised light show along with his alternating tonalities and intimate musicianship leding to a terrific spectacle.

He hasn’t always had as much fun onstage as he seemed to be tonight. After some success in the songwriting field for the likes of Amy Winehouse, he was on the cusp of calling it a day as a touring musician. However, as he explained to his eager Hungarian devotees, a recent move to Berlin has allowed him to fall back in love with gigs and electronic music again, to which applause echoed around the smoke filled room.

The double drummers, guitarist, bassist and keyboard player he’s assembled appear to be some of the best session players in the business, with familiar tracks such as ‘Looking too Closely’ effortlessly transitioning from guttural blues to spectacular melancholy without ever losing the delicate meanings of the lyricisms. "Resurgam, I will rise up, I will rise up again", he sings on the title track of his new record, which gained one of the biggest reactions of the night. The ten-minute jam is a monstrous live spectacle, along with 'Day 22's almost funky, incessant and cathartic ending, which lit up the room.

Fink’s depressive writings may lead you to believe he is a troubled soul, but that didn’t reflect the mood of the room on Friday night as he led the eastern European crowd through a trip-hop/blues pilgrimage.

Paul Hill

Website: finkworld.co.uk
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