Tom Hingley
Monday night at Stamps produced yet another top quality act with an illustrious track record.
Tom Hingley, formerly lead singer with The Inspiral Carpets and one of the prime movers along with The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays of the early nineties Madchester scene graced the stage for a solo acoustic performance.Tom had notched up more than twenty top 40 hits with The Inspiral Carpets before they broke up in 1995.
Tonight could not be more different - not the Top of the Pops studio- but the intimate surroundings of Stamps Bar and a select and appreciative audience.
Something I had not quite realised before was just how good a voice he has, as well as a massive range.This was truly borne out as the evening progressed.
Kicking off proceedings with his trusty banjo it was clear that tonight would be stripped bare and raw. Don,t let them see (?) introduced us to a slow and haunting vocal so reminiscent of the early blues. Following up with Taste of You and Everyday the blues took hold and the voice dominated.
Saturn Five and This is how it Feels were a throwback to his Inspiral Carpets days but performed in a bluesy manner they sounded very different.
Sandwiched between them was a blistering version of the Janis Joplin classic Mercedes Benz. With only the handclaps of the crowd as accompaniment Tom brought the house down with his rendition.
A couple of blues standards followed along with a great cover of Ain,t No Sunshine and a dedication to Courtney Love that segued into the Eurythmics Sweet Dreams and the night was over.
Great Voice, Great Blues and a Great Night.
