Gig Review: Dan Whitehouse - The Glee Club, Birmingham. Sunday 28th June 2026

 

Momentous art comes from the pause as much as the piece. The moment when creativity breathes. An act of frozen time letting words, beats and notes settle. A gift curated in private, polished in the studio, then exhibited in a shared performance space. From the texture of glass to the emotive lure of love in all its guises, a joyous evening of collaborative care unfolded. Meticulous playing, meaningful lyrics and a strong yearn to spark off each other. An evening of navigated narration blending themes, stories and the odd anecdote. An album launch with a succulent centre and an outer layer of past recognition and motives. A beacon of modesty embedded into a strong drive to seek answers through art. 

Dan Whitehouse was at his collaborative best when returning to one of his old city centre haunts in The Glee Club. The occasion was to launch the latest album ONLY LOVE. While there will be a little wait before its wider release in October, there promises to be a lot of activity over the next three months now that he’s back in the country following a regular lengthy stint in Japan where he splits his time for family commitments. 

This was the first Birmingham show since December’s spectacularly located evening overlooking a festive Centenary Square. While The Glee Club couldn’t compete with the vista, it did have the upgrade of multi instrumentalist Gustaf Ljunggren joining a full band complement of Dave O’Brien (piano/bass guitar) and Alex Lowe (percussion). With the same support, and added contribution, from beatbox poet Jasmine Gardosi, the scene was set for another inspired performance. 

As expected, a sample of the new album was at the core of the ninety minute set. The new songs were born stripped back on piano remaining that way in the studio and on stage. Whitehouse took to the keys to deliver the title track ‘Only Love’ solo, while on others including ‘Bird of Paradise’ and ‘Every Brick’ O’Brien resumed his piano presence of the studio allowing the expressive vocal impact to flourish. 

The set was impeccably timed in terms of tempo and grace from the opening combo of ‘Ingrid’s Stare’ presented solo and ‘Campfire’ in tandem with Llunggren’s guitar playing to a fully stocked stage belting out a rousing version of ‘Work’ in the boisterous company of an audience unleashed from studious intent to vocal animation. In between, a freedom to roam from glass in all its conceptual forms to cycling (‘Cyclone’) to a sentimental waltz (‘Why Don’t We Dance’) and a trip down a Black Country memory lane (‘Free Beer’) sharpened the effect and laid a silk path to the celebratory climax.

The exciting link up with ex-Birmingham Poet Laureate Jasmine Gardosi has been a wonderful exposure of collaborative deviation injecting third dimension verve into a bubbling live pot. Alongside a trademark beatbox delivery, Gardosi experimented with adding a simple piano accompaniment to the spoken word and delightfully pulled it off. Identity sparks their art and in Pride month we enjoyed some highly charged passionate new compositions empowering personal experience and shoring up against looming dark clouds. Gardosi’s work is proud, punchy and inspirational, inducing 360 degree inclusivity. 

They rejoined the fray for the enjoyable piece ‘They Say (It’s Like a Riding a bike’ in the closing stages. A phase benefiting from the vitality blast of ‘New Life’ sprinkling rock ’n’ roll stardust on proceedings. Minor movement in band deployment enhanced the show with Llunggren, O’Brien and Lowe enacting their prescribed parts under the astute stewardship of Whitehouse. The blend admirably contributed to a show of the highest order adding a stylish tint to the intimacy.

The season of ‘Only Love’ has begun. A tonic for challenging times. An artistic whim born from the heart and built for sharing. A moment to take stock and celebrate the pause we all need. Dan Whitehouse optimally enacts the space for music open to all. The Glee Club was an affirmation of connection with love the guiding light.

www.dan-whitehouse.com