Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
A gig by South Carolinian guitarist/singer-songwriter Marcus King throws up several contrasts. His music (especially material from his latest album ‘Mood Swings’) is mostly autobiographical but at the same time, it is entirely relatable.
Raw and confessional at times – the stark and haunting acoustic performance of ‘Bipolar Love’ immediately springs to mind – King wears his heart on his sleeve and is unafraid to tackle any subject. Then there is Marcus King; shitkicker and rabble-rouser, with an incredible jam band that makes an almighty noise. Tonight’s gig is the best of both worlds.
Even today, in the age of AI seeping into music at an alarming rate, there are so many simple things about live music that still thrill. The sudden increase in the volume of the house music which signifies that the gig is about to start, for one. A coiled old-school guitar lead wrapped around the mic stand waiting to be plugged in, is another. Then there is the noise that said lead makes when it is plugged in.
No computer-generated nonsense can replicate that heightened sense of anticipation, or indeed the rush that comes once the stage explodes to life and the infectious smile from an artist like Marcus King is bright enough to dazzle the first few rows. Now that’s damn rock & roll.
With no support act, Marcus King and his immaculate band don’t need to rush. The songs have time to brew, and in the tradition of what the softly-spoken King is all about, the material on offer tonight is often unlike the studio version. Songs are stretched out and given time to breathe. It’s seamless. Especially the opening 20 minutes or so that see’s ‘Hero’ sprouting wings and taking flight.
In the same way that Duane Allman had Dickey Betts alongside him, King links up with fellow six-stringer/slide guitarist Drew Smithers to form a partnership that has the guitar heads in the crowd drooling with delight. Smithers takes the first solo during the opening track, ‘It’s Too Late’, as King stands back and watches as he waits for his turn in the spotlight. Within the opening few moments, it becomes obvious that this is a band in the truest meaning, and not a case of nameless, faceless, session players backing up the name on the ticket.
During the early stages of the 2-hour set, a riotous version of ‘The Well’ gets the ballroom sprung floor moving; the gorgeous Hammond work from Mike Runyon constantly impresses (especially on ‘Beautiful Stranger’), and material aired from ‘Mood Swings’ highlights the soulful approach that King adopted with the album – ‘Inglewood Motel (Halestorm)’ is particularly noteworthy thanks to a gorgeous guitar tone from Smithers and the sudden turn in pace mid-song that turns the heat up.
Plucked from the days of The Marcus King Band, ‘Rita Is Gone’ is utterly sublime, ditto the trio of covers that follow on: Neil Young’s seminal ‘Are You Ready for the Country’ (tackled by Waylon Jennings in 1976) is great fun thanks to the slide guitar strut from Smithers, ‘Workin’ Man Blues’ from Merle Haggard is dedicated to the road crew, and ‘Honky Tonk Hell’ – written by Gabe Lee – leads to a show-stopping guitar dual between King and Smithers.
The acoustic segment that begins with ‘Mood Swings’ falls foul to the dreaded chatterers, a shame because it puts King’s vocal talents centre stage, and relies on a bit of respect from the crowd. The unreleased ‘Die Alone’ also features King in acoustic mode and is set to feature on a new studio album in 2025. Given the stark subject matter – it is strangely quite upbeat. The highlight of the latter stages has to be the fuzz-filled ‘F*ck My Life Up Again’ where the combination of King’s incendiary playing and Smithers’ weeping slide guitar is otherworldly.
Catch Marcus King on tour at one of the dates listed HERE.
Review – Dave
Live images – Dave Jamieson
