Having been moved from the smaller Gun Room of the RMA Tavern into the main pub, promoters Wivvered Lizzard were going to be in for an even busier evening than previous events with the venue filling up early as the main act attracted followers from further afield compared to their usual more low key affairs.
So with some early tunes being spun by DJ Tippy it was on to fellow co-promoter Nick Poore as the live support with the Yesterday People, a re-union of former bandmates Guava Jelly playing under the new name in light of a set combining both new and old material.
There may have been a few technical issues as the three-piece took to the stage but ultimately the female vocals stunningly complimented Nick’s playing and the subtle addition of a secondary guitarist blended nicely into Nick Poore and the Yesterday People’s relaxed performance.
Having spent most of the nighties on the road supporting the likes of Radiohead during his time fronting indie-rock band Strangelove, headliner Patrick Duff now tours as a solo artist and makes a welcome return to Portsmouth before heading off for a serious of gigs across Germany and Holland.
Opening with “Henry James” it was soon apparent that the rest of the evening was going to fall victim of a handful of people talking over the acoustic performance and as such Patrick re-starts the song, this time whilst reminiscing of childhood memories of listening to his grandfather play Irish folk songs which seems to inspire the rest of the set.
Tonight focusses more on “The Mad Straight Road” and the stripped back songs of 2013’s “Visions of the Underworld” which are more in keeping with his street busking roots, rather than the complex and experimental “Seven Sermons to the Dead” double album (also recorded last year), although both of the latter releases show there are different sides to Patrick Duff who is far from resting on the success of his former band.
There’s something very open and honest with this evenings’ lyrical content, as with “Jesus” for example he also speaks of his upbringing, whilst other songs focus on those that influenced his latter life in a close and personal journey.
Patrick Duff and his storytelling, along with the finger picking guitar work and haunting voice on the likes of “Maria” soon brings his captivating performance to a close, and as Patrick leaves the stage there are humble thanks to those who have supported a great evening at the RMA.
So with a brief encore the crowd show their appreciation for the artist one last time before it’s over to the return of DJ Tippy’s eclectic mix of acoustic folk through to modern electro dance, leaving us to grab another beer and enjoy the rest of the night before taking the journey home.
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