Steve Wilson
So one of the highlights, if not the main highlight, of Leeds Metal Fringe was undoubtedly the solo acoustic set from Mr Steve Wilson, lead singer with Down the Machine and musician extraordinaire! As such, when we were sent through a link to his latest track, Closing In, I was pretty excited to check it out, just to make sure he’d still managed to keep that soothing sound going through his music. I settled back, hit play and let the man do the talking (well….singing).
Opening with a soft and acoustic guitar line, the tracks gets off to a melodic yet dark start, the mix forming something which pulls you in and asks you to listen properly to what you’re hearing. Sounding akin to some of the better acoustic grunge of the mid 90’s, there’s a real sense of melodic relaxation, the sort of sound which is going to silence a crowd and have every single person lapping up what’s on offer. The vocals match the guitar work perfectly, presenting a track which is impossible to resist, the sort of song that matches a happy moment as much as it would match a mood of sadness or regret. This ability to craft a sound which matches different moods is something which stands Steve out as a serious force to be reckoned with, the sort of musician that only comes along once in a while and when they do, proves to be the sort of thing that we all need to pay attention to.
I was blown away by the acoustic set that Steve performed at Metal Fringe, especially as he wasn’t given a lot of warning and as such, had to step up in front of a fair sized crowd without a lot of planning. What’s on offer here though is a man that understands music, understands how to sing and play, and has the ability to back it all up. Definitely a musician we all need to be looking out for, and one I can’t wait to see perform again soon.
To find out more about Steve Wilson and his music, check out his Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with a soft and acoustic guitar line, the tracks gets off to a melodic yet dark start, the mix forming something which pulls you in and asks you to listen properly to what you’re hearing. Sounding akin to some of the better acoustic grunge of the mid 90’s, there’s a real sense of melodic relaxation, the sort of sound which is going to silence a crowd and have every single person lapping up what’s on offer. The vocals match the guitar work perfectly, presenting a track which is impossible to resist, the sort of song that matches a happy moment as much as it would match a mood of sadness or regret. This ability to craft a sound which matches different moods is something which stands Steve out as a serious force to be reckoned with, the sort of musician that only comes along once in a while and when they do, proves to be the sort of thing that we all need to pay attention to.
I was blown away by the acoustic set that Steve performed at Metal Fringe, especially as he wasn’t given a lot of warning and as such, had to step up in front of a fair sized crowd without a lot of planning. What’s on offer here though is a man that understands music, understands how to sing and play, and has the ability to back it all up. Definitely a musician we all need to be looking out for, and one I can’t wait to see perform again soon.
To find out more about Steve Wilson and his music, check out his Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
