with Matt Rogerson, Honest Dave and JJ Lovegrove
Reviewed by Imogen Cresswell
Luke Broughton has finally released an overdue EP, and it is as incredible as we had all anticipated. To celebrate this, Luke held a sold-out gig at Duffy’s Bar, in which they performed an unplugged set of all the songs to expect on this new release.
Amongst them also featured artists including the sensational improviser Matt Rogerson, the singer-songwriter Honest Dave, and the eerie yet beautiful sounding singer and pianist JJ Lovegrove. This whole line-up was just so incredible and atmospheric- it was clear that Luke had a particular tone they wanted to set that night, and it was executed with perfection. It was truly a soundscape of creativity and culture, which united everyone that night.
As I entered Duffy’s, the place was packed out. A huge variety of individuals embraced the energy feeding from the venue as the support acts prepared us for the talent that would be bestowed upon us. Each artist all had something incredibly important to say, and they all managed to spread a strong message with every note and key.
When Luke stepped on stage, there was a roar of excitement followed by a deep silence as Luke began playing. People described the night as “mesmerising” and “immersive”. Their talent is unmatched: the finger picking, the variations of their vocals, the engagement with the audience. It truly was flawless. After each song, there was a breath of silence, as everyone digested the detail of each song.
Then, as if by natural cause, everyone united together into one big unit and applauded Luke so strongly I nearly shed a tear. It was a strangely emotional experience, and I found each of their songs taking me to a certain point in my life and began to make me think about how life had turned out and how glad I was to be living in the now, with such a wholesome crowd of people and a fantastic musician to serenade us all.
Luke walked onto the stage with a message, and left the stage with their mark on it.
One message I personally would like to share, based on a conversation I had with Luke, is that live and local music is such an affordable experience, and helps create a beautiful and inclusive culture for artists and listeners.
I really do hope we can continue to support acts like Luke, and keep the Leicester music scene alive. The influence live music has on us is beyond what we realise, and the importance of it will never be truly emphasised without the continued support for small venues and local artists. So, to those at the gig, thank you for supporting Luke with their career in music, and I really do look forward to seeing them next time, wherever that may be.
Click here to see our interview of Luke leading up to this gig by Imogen Cresswell.
Reviewed by Imogen Cresswell
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