It’s almost incomprehensible now that Charlie Simpson used to be in Busted. He has to be one of the only members of an incredibly famous boyband who’s managed to shake off the cheesy image and re-establish himself as a legitimate musician, first as part of Fightstar, and now as a solo artist. And deservedly so, because Charlie Simpson is one of the most talented singer songwriters in the UK, and he should be recognised for that.
Tonight he’s playing to a sold out venue at The Globe in Cardiff, and the crowd are clearly here just for Charlie Simpson and his wonderful songs and not because of Fightstar or Busted. It’s a big achievement, and tonight is an utterly fantastic show.
The whole room becomes hushed as Charlie takes to the stage and proceeds to play a set consisting of his two solo albums, ‘Young Pilgrim’ and ‘Long Road Home’. The first huge singalong of the night comes in the form of his first solo single, ‘Down Down Down’, and it’s a truly wonderful moment.
The atmosphere in the room is electric, and it really is no mean feat to keep a whole crowd entertained with an acoustic guitar, but Charlie Simpson truly accomplishes it. His voice is completely flawless tonight, and the setlist is fantastic.
Ending on ‘Parachutes’ and then coming back on for an encore which ends with ‘Farmer And His Gun’, the crowd’s reaction makes it clear that Charlie Simpson is destined for huge things with his solo material. At home in both intimate venues and much bigger rooms (The Roundhouse, for example), it seems like there’s nothing Charlie Simpson can’t achieve. Bravo.
LAIS MW