Once a household name, Finley Quaye can still draw a crowd, enough even to fill the room for the support act. It was as if none of his doting supporters wanted to miss a single second of the old chart topper’s acoustic set. The question of whether this tour could be a turning point in Finley’s career, which derailed after the 90s, hung over the audience – but the mood was optimistic and hopeful. The crowd seemed ready and willing to be blown away, and clearly had not forgotten the prolific work of Finley Quaye in the past. The intimate setting made this night seem like it could be one to remember.

Firstly, the support act, Karl Bray deserves a special mention. Lent an acoustic country style by their double bass and violin, the band sat well with audience members, and Bray’s clever Dylan-esque lyricism engaged the audience, making them sway involuntarily. Bray and his band are highly focused and deliberate with their instrumentations, both instinctively and intelligently arranging their material. Many of their songs were romanticised and focused on self-reflection, which all too well reflected the mood of the evening, audience and Quaye himself.

Quaye stood anxiously at the side of stage, seemingly itching to get on. After a few minutes getting ready, Finley began to strum the guitar without any introduction. He played so loosely that his first number seemed like nothing more than a soundcheck, but after a bewildering few minutes he stopped abruptly to signal the end of the song; a strange start, but the crowd still erupted encouragingly with applause. His choice of Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ for his second track, given his performance, was so ironic that it hurt. He seemed very under practised, and his guitar technique was seriously impaired by his drinking both during and before his set.

Quaye’s voice, however, is as beautiful as ever, and the vocal qualities that once made him famous were still very much audible.

For his third song Quaye attempted a solo guitar piece, which musically lacked order, and his fingers lacked the clarity and skill to hit the frets and notes. Next he covered the Animals’ ‘House of the Rising Sun’, and this was the first original and memorable moment of the gig. By changing the lyrics to “there is a house / in Africa” he touchingly paid homage to his heritage and made the song personal to him. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but the style matched his playing better and made it seem as though the rhythms were an intended African influence, and not the result of too much alcohol.

The crowd, still paying close attention to Quaye, in part because of his funny anecdotes from when he was an A-lister, were finally greeted by the more popular, ‘It’s Great When We’re Together.’ His soft and unique voice gave the audience something to marvel at and held the song together, but again his guitar skills let him down. Indeed, such a mismatch of prowess was truly something spectacular. At this point, Quaye knew he had to do something to stop the crowd thinning, and he asked the support band to get on stage and act as his backing band. It was a very smart move: who knows what would have happened had he braved it alone, especially considering he finished a bottle of wine in his time on stage. With the help of Karl Bray and his band, the audience got to hear, ‘Love Gets Sweeter Everyday,’ a moment they had all been waiting for. There was no missing Quaye’s star quality at this point, he confidently fronted the song, and delivered the performance with conviction. He even put his guitar down at one point, stood up, and did some great ad-libbing. For a brief moment, the Quaye we all know and love was back.

The backing band stayed for one more song before dismounting the stage. At this point it seemed as if the gig was over despite Quaye staying on stage, and most people chose to leave on a high. While Quaye was entertaining, and managed to deliver some of his old hits, it was a conflicted performance. He still undoubtedly has talent and charm, and his playing with the band offered a glimpse of how good he might be. Sadly, on his own he fails to live up to his considerable potential.

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