WILL VARLEY | LIVE REVIEW
The Globe, Cardiff, Wed 7 Feb
He might look a bit like a troubadour pirate, but it’s a four pack of Guinness rather than sailor’s rum that accompanies Will Varley onto the stage. Clutched in his other hand is the acoustic guitar that he’s built a career on. The singer-songwriter’s blend of contemporary folk and painterly, deft lyricism has earned him plenty of fans across the UK and North America, and the current tour for fifth studio album Spirit Of Minnie is sure to please with more of the same.
“Come let’s light a fire, drink a beer and sing a song” croons Varley on opener As For My Soul. It proves to be rather apt; plenty of pints are bought, the loyal audience knows every chorus, and a mysterious burning smell sends The Globe staff into a flurry midway through the set. Varley lightens the moment with a spontaneous (and musically solid) rendition of Johnny Cash’s Ring Of Fire. It’s the kind of charming moment you can’t rehearse, and encapsulates Varley’s appeal perfectly; funny, genuine, and very, very good.
Like Cash, Varley’s laidback cleverness and humble demeanour never distract from the music – quite the opposite, in fact. At a time when plenty of musicians are building huge careers on spectacle rather than substance, it’s refreshing that artists like Varley can still wield a winking charisma that complements rather than props up their talent.
The same could easily be said of his live band. The Spirit Of Minnie tour sees Varley switch up his traditional solo singer-songwriter formula to include a little backing help from folk duo Molly’s Lips, who add weight to new songs like Statues and All Those Stars and help spruce up older tracks like Blood And Bone. They slink on and off stage throughout the set as needed without fanfare: this is still a Will Varley solo show, just with percussion and bass guitar.
If you’ve seen Varley before, you don’t need convincing. If you haven’t, you should. Especially if you’re a fire warden.
words and photos JASPER WILKINS