A merch table stocked with CDs, LPs and posters is a refreshing sight for an artist eager to get on the road. This is more pertinent when you have released an album in lockdown and relied on the digital world to sell it. As another month clicked over, the time was right for M.G. Boulter to ease back into the gig world and commence a run of dates that extends well into the second half of 2021. Of course, fingers crossed still remains a relevant sentiment. Even if the start is slow, the intent will gain momentum, and an artist can finally move into the sphere where connection with an audience flourishes.
This was M.G. Boulter's first visit to the Kitchen Garden, a venue that has really been flying the flag solo for live music in the area during this phased period of restriction relief. Recollections and a chat confirmed previous Birmingham appearances at Moseley Folk Festival; with Emily Portman and the Coracle at the MAC and multiple shows as a member of Simone Felice's touring band. However the focus is now primarily on the solo work, so we get to see a more intimate and revealing side to his craft.
Much of this evening's show was based on material from CLIFFTOWN, M.G. Boulter's slightly conceptual but definitely thematic look at his hometown of Southend-on-Sea. This well received album is packed to the hilt with fascinating and well-told stories based within the town and its surrounding areas. In fact the perfect recipe for an enthusiastic singer-songwriter to gladly furnish an attentive audience with the background to the songs. M.G. Boulter gets the balance right between the chat and the songs to present a highly engaging and informative showcase to his music.
Part of his appeal is a warm and affable persona that when coupled with a literary enthusiasm wraps the songs in a gifted package. The guitar playing for such an accomplished and in-demand musician remains unobtrusive and wholly supportive to the process of getting the message and story of the song out in the open. Likewise the vocals are gentle, clear and transparent to make the songs the centrepiece of any performance. I'm sure such a talented and experienced creative can adapt to a multitude of styles, but this format is spot on for a time and place.
Of course the solo work of M.G. Boulter is not just about CLIFFTOWN. We had songs from his previous high profile album WITH WOLVES THE LAMB WILL LIE including 'Sean or Patrick', alongside a track from his 2020 duet EP HOW TO READ with Samantha Whates in 'My Life in Seven Bookshops'. This perfectly captured an enduring passion for books that plays a key role in forming his songwriting mode. To add a local flavour we also had a song ('Night Driving') from the BLOOD MOON EP that was recorded with Moseley based outfit The Froe.
Pertaining to the view that a singer-songwriter rarely stands still, we had a couple of new songs previewed. Where they end up, who knows? Rest assured this well-connected performer around the folk circuit will find a home.
Putting all the other stuff to one side, the focal point of this show was promoting CLIFFTOWN. The song that come over the best on the evening was 'Night Worker'. Its competition primarily came from numbers such as 'Simon of Sudbury', 'Nights at the Aquarium', 'Midnight Movies' and 'Soft White Belly'. Many of these had the valued accompaniment of the story and influence to set the scene.
At the end of the show, MG Boulter had won over more new fans and, most importantly, had broken the ice with a return to playing live in front of real people. This was my first time seeing him in this format and he fully enhanced the pleasure of an album. It cannot be reiterated enough how live music can reinvigorate and complement its recorded counterpart. Also the importance of seeing a full merch table, a little less fuller at the end of the evening cannot be understated to an independent artist.
