Billy Lockett is something of a wonder. With the release of his latest EP Old Man last October, he added his name to the very small handful of unsigned artists to have ever had a record the top 40, and when standing in the audience at one of his gigs, it’s easy to see why. The crowd at Bush Hall were small, but they were varied, enthusiastic and – most noticeably – loyal. Billy has one of the most diverse fan bases you’ll come across, featuring fans of all ages, genders and backgrounds, but they’re also one of the most devoted; many of those in attendance had been following Billy for several years and this was the most recent of many of his gigs that they’d snagged their tickets for.
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The first of Billy’s support acts was the striking Megan Washington, a 29-year-old Australian singer-songwriter with a Chrissie Hynde haircut and a beautifully sultry, melted-toffee voice. A wonderful lyricist, her songs of sex, drugs and rock and roll set the night off to a wonderful start.
The second was the baby-faced Rhys B. Bowman. At just 15 years old, Bowman surprised us all with strong, confident vocals and cleverly written tracks. However it wasn’t his own music that garnered the most praise, but his expert mash-up of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’, Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk’ and the Fresh Prince of Bell Air theme song.
Song after, Lockett came to the stage with his trademark confident awkwardness and sat at his large, white grand piano, accompanied by a drummer. As the energy grew, he removed his coat halfway through the first song; it seems this is becoming a somewhat trademark move, as he did exactly the same at his Tabernacle gig late last year.
Lockett’s setlist struck the perfect balance of new and old. After a couple of heavy openers, including ‘Stumble and Fall’, a consistent crowd favourite, he treated us all to several tracks from his upcoming album which he has spent the last year writing in his cellar, a room that has now become infamous amongst his fans. ‘Thinking About You’, one of several tracks Lockett his written about his relationship with his late father, pulled at the crowd’s heartstrings, whilst ‘Digging Close to Gold’, a cheerful, upbeat track dedicated to the loyalty of his fans, put a smile on our faces and a toe-tapping melody in our bodies.
Then came a series of “Lockett Classics”, fan favourites that had everyone singing along with all their might. Everyone’s favourite ‘Old Man,’ a lyrically and melodically beautiful track about learning from his father, of course featured, as did his latest single ‘Never Let You Go’, an unmistakably relatable anthem of lost love.
After ending his set with the powerful ‘Toxic’, Lockett returned for a one-song encore which he left his audience to choose. The indisputable majority vote was for Balance, a beautifully sweet, happy-go-lucky anthem about finding happiness in the little things that had the crowd dancing, singing and forgetting their cares in the way only this song could make them (with lyrics like “take my hand, spin me around / dance like a fool, dance, dance around”, how could we not?).
One of the truest things Lockett fans will tell you about the singer-songwriter is how genuine he is. It’s impossible to attend a Billy Lockett gig without having a conversation with the man himself, whether it be in the bar beforehand or at the merch table afterwards, where he never fails to sign CDs, take pictures and have a chat. After taking this opportunity myself, Lockett said that although he doesn’t plan to tour anytime soon – with the writing of his album at the forefront of his mind – he does have a series of small London appearances up his sleeve to help test his new material. If you can catch one of these, do; you most definitely won’t regret it.
Words by Amie Bailey
@amiebailey