When I first bought tickets for this show, the plan was to take my son along as part of his Christmas present. Unfortunately, illness got in the way and he was unable to make it. Rather than let the ticket go to waste, I turned to the obvious replacement.
Emma.
To be fair, she wasn’t exactly reluctant. We’d already seen Steve Mason together in Edinburgh and she had absolutely loved the show. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that convincing her to come and see him again required approximately no effort whatsoever.
That was fine by me.
I’ve been a fan of Steve Mason ever since discovering his solo work years ago, although my interest in him goes back even further through The Beta Band. There is something uniquely uplifting about his music. Even when he’s addressing difficult subjects, his songs tend to carry an undercurrent of hope, intelligence and compassion that is increasingly rare.
This performance took place in an old church in Dundee, a setting that proved almost perfect for his music.
Certain venues add something extra to a concert simply through their atmosphere, and this was one of them. The architecture, acoustics and surroundings created a sense of intimacy that suited Steve’s songs beautifully. There was a feeling throughout the evening that the audience were experiencing something a little different from a standard rock show.
What struck me most was how naturally the songs filled the space. Some artists need elaborate production to create atmosphere. Steve Mason achieves much the same effect through songwriting alone. The combination of his voice, the band and the church setting created moments that felt genuinely moving.
Emma, unsurprisingly, enjoyed herself just as much as she had in Edinburgh. One of the nice things about introducing someone to an artist they hadn’t previously known is watching them become a genuine fan. By this point, Steve Mason had firmly established himself as one of the musicians we both looked forward to seeing whenever the opportunity arose.
As usual, I spent part of the evening filming the performance, footage which can be found below. It’s always satisfying when a recording turns out well, particularly in a venue with such character.
An additional perspective on the night appeared online afterwards when some footage surfaced on YouTube. If you look carefully, you’ll even spot my head bobbing away beside Emma for a couple of songs. It isn’t quite a starring role, but after years of filming gigs I’m happy to make a brief cameo appearance every now and then.
Looking back, it’s a shame my son wasn’t well enough to attend, but the evening still turned into a memorable one. A remarkable artist, a beautiful venue and another opportunity to share great music with Emma.
Not a bad consolation prize at all.
The Photos
Cheers!
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