JOSH DOYLE – Live @ The Cellars At Eastney 24/05/09

It’s a gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon and the crowds are heading to the beach en masse, except for a select few who have, instead made their way to the cool interior of The Cellars at Eastney. Stiff Promotions are known for putting on an eclectic line up of gigs and today they’ve secured a familiar face on the UK music scene who has returned from his new home across the pond to share tunes new and old with audiences around the country. First up though we have Joey MC, whose acoustic tunes conceal a taste for electronica that will, hopefully, be on display at future gigs. This young man has some good tunes and plenty of potential. Kodiak Jack took to the stage next, eschewing their usual hard rock aesthetic for an acoustic set that showcased the bluesy foundations of their music. They inadvertently made one of the highlights of the afternoon too, as the promoter was stopped outside the venue by a tee asking him to “go in the shop and buy some fags” lead singer Bryn could be heard on stage introducing their next number “this is a song about chavs”. Soon enough Mr Doyle himself took to the stage. It’s clear he’s grown a huge amount as a performer and writer since his days as lead singer for The DumDums, but here, today, there’s still a pop-punk tint to his vocals that’s refreshing among the glut of singer/songwriters peddling their wares in a crowded market. The crowd is treated to a wealth of songs from his solo career, the highlights including a stunning take on ‘Aphrodite’ and ‘Ghost Like You’, a new track that’s heavier than previous solo songs. There were old favourites from The DumDums too of course, with ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Thoughts’ particularly driving the audience (and this reviewer) to sing along and tap toes to the beat. He may not be a name on everybody’s lips right now, but Josh Doyle stands up to just about any other guitar toting young man releasing material at the moment and if you want to be ahead of the curve check him out right now!

Check out Josh at: www.joshdoyle.com