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LIAM JORDAN: FROM SHY TO STRONG
Review of Liam's Spice of Life gig, 15 March 2019
By Johnny Belknap
Singer-songwriter Liam Jordan used to be a shy boy. Now he’s a strong man. His songs, written in the Americana tradition of Dylan and Springsteen, are strong. His muscular guitar and expert harmonica are strong. His determined expression and agile singing are strong. Even his short hair looks strong.
Tonight he is asserting himself over a noisy crowd, filling the bar with sound as if he were a whole band, generating whoops and applause whenever the last chord rings out. Before you know it, he’s on to the next song, building the energy to a crescendo. He is in command.
He’s come far. The first time I saw Liam, he was busking on the street in St Ives, Cornwall, playing covers of his Americana heroes. I remember pausing, because unlike the usual busker, this one was damn good. Then later he turned up at the Queens Hotel in St Ives, where he and his partner Jenny Bishop run the most raucous, funny open mic evenings in the country. Being a wannabe musician myself, I often signed up to sing and they always made me feel warmly welcome.
At that point, Liam was quietly running the soundboard and occasionally doing a couple of numbers himself. He looked a bit nervous playing and never looked up at the audience, but besides being a great player, there was always something sunny and fresh about him.
Then Jenny took a break to give birth to their daughter, Luna, and Liam was left on his own to run the open mics. He stepped up. Bombarded with nervy musicians and comedians wanting a slot, he calmly kept track of all the players and made sure they got their time. I played too and sometimes Liam would graciously play his harp along with me.
Then Liam started writing songs and eventually raised enough money and musicians to record his first album, simply called Liam Jordan. He charmingly described its making on Facebook, and song by song, month by month, it was done. Then, with a new confidence, he got on the road and toured, all through Cornwall and later through the rest of England, plus Scotland and Ireland. Sometimes he’d have one or two musicians from the album play with him, notably brilliant violinist Annabel Lainchbury, but he played mainly on his own. This is where he figured out how to fill the room with a wall of sound all by himself.
Now here he is in London, excited to play historic venue The Spice of Life in Soho where Dylan and Paul Simon played way back when. Some musicians these days play in that folk/rock style and seem boringly derivative. Liam, just 30 this year, plays in that genre, but instead of just copying the tradition, he moves it on. It’s his now.
The set list, mostly from his album, sounds polished but never slick. There’s a raw earnestness about them. What’s so likeable about Liam is that his heart is in plain sight. He never tries to be cool. He’s warm and self-deprecating. At another gig recentlty, he started playing a song with a harmonica set up in the wrong key. He stopped, grinned, rolled his eyes and said “rookie mistake”. He fixed it and carried on within seconds, proving that actually he has become a real pro.
Tonight, when he introduces himself on stage, he just says, “Hi, I’m Liam. From Penzance”. And helpfully for the tourists he adds, “on the southwest tip of the country”. A few words about his album and his awe of the venue’s history, and he’s off, playing his memorable songs, Creature Man, Tap on My Window, Mansion on the Hill and Running Behind. He races to play lots of songs in his short time slot. Then he closes with an astute choice of a cover song: Warren Zevon’s Werewolves of London, written in a restaurant around the corner, Lee Ho Fook. Liam is more relaxed now and sings with gusto, shouting the Ah-Wooos in each chorus.
A personal tangent here: Coming from a rockabilly tradition, where each gig is a style competition, by habit I prepared for Liam’s gig by doing my hair into a presentable quiff. So when Liam gets to the line in the song: “I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic’s. His hair was perfect,” he turns to me and says with a grin, “That’s you, Johnny”, and then turns back to the audience to sing the Ah-Wooos.
I’ve never been more flattered in my life. But that’s Liam. Charming, warm and open – and dead serious about his music. Keep your eyes on this one, folks. If he’s grown this much in couple of years, who knows how far he will go.
His heroes may have to move over.
https://www.liamjordanmusic.com/
johnnybelknap@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/heyjohnnybee/
johnnybelknap
I bless the day a random post on social media put Liam Jordan on my music radar. I like all sorts of music but I’m a complete sucker for a great voice and acoustic guitar so I investigated further – and found pure gold. I was lucky enough to be at Liam’s debut album launch with the full band and it was and always will be one the best nights of my life. I also consider myself very lucky to live in the part of the world where Liam is based because I get to see him perform on a regular basis playing solo, and I’ve lost count of how many times people have remarked on how good he is. This young man has a genuine passion for what he does and he never fails to please, whether he’s playing covers of other artists’ music or his own beautiful creations. I can’t recommend Liam Jordan highly enough – if he’s playing in your area please don’t miss the opportunity to see him!
Crittercat
Liam is a true expert in his craft and an excellent performer and songwriter. I have been following his work since the beginning and he never fails to impress. His lyrics speak truth from the heart; a must listen for all fans of Springsteen, Dylan, Isbell, etc.
He is the hardest working musician I know, absolutely dedicated to his passion and it shows. Can't recommend enough!
danaston1
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