Morganway / Sirena Grace / Me & Deboe (Discovery Talent 2 Showcase), May 2019, 229 Club, London, United Kingdom

Morganway / Sirena Grace / Me & Deboe (Discovery Talent 2 Showcase)

Thursday 23rd May 2019

229 Club, London, United Kingdom 

For some time I had been promising myself I would check out Norwich act Morganway, encouraged by their PR and management. Tonight is a show I can make – a tad steadily post my surgery – so I head to town and find a sofa.

This is a four-act showcase and I always enjoy these even if the standard varies.

First up is a most alluring vocalist Sirena Grace from Atlanta. Accompanied by an able if somewhat bookish acoustic guitarist, we are treated to an impressive range of songs, some self-penned. Her voice is striking, strong, melodic and best of all imbued with some warmth. Sirens essays a film tune, a Lloyd Webber standard, a rocky song with a Gregory Porter tinge. Often her silky, sensuous voice recalls Astrid Gilberto. She explains her parentage is Dominican Republic/El Salvador. A really classy and enjoyable interlude.

Next up two female singer-guitarists from Liverpool under the name of Me & Deboe.

Confidence they seem to have, but a setlist ending in a slaughter of Whole Lotta Love dampens the spirits. A string of songs all sounding like Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill but stripped of intrigue and bite are delivered. They both play exactly the same frantically scrubbed chords at the same time, with flattens the musical backdrops. The vocals are over-eager and grating. I guess I am not their target audience though I am fond of acoustic music. Just not this style.

The vibe of the room transforms when Morganway take the stage for a brief but wholly successful set. The group ticks every box – the rhythm section are tight but never plodding, the keyboards run through a fine range of tones with nothing showy, the acoustic guitar is impressive and the lead electric far more biting than one usually hears in this sphere. Meantime strong ensemble and soul-drenched lead vocals float above the sound like a mountain eagle. Now all this would make a great impact, but the songs!! They range from bittersweet balladry to burning rockers with swathes of electric violin. I haven’t heard folk-rock delivered as well as this since the golden heyday of Fairport, Trees, Eclection and Fotheringay.

On this showing they leave latterday Fleetwood Mac in the dust. Highlights include the bustling Hurricane, the ache of Frozen In Our Time, the lively Let Me Go…The first chance you get, please experience this exciting crew’s mastery of light and shade.

Apologies to last act Sonars as I couldn’t stay to hear them. Next time…

Pete Sargeant