Fyfe Dangerfield

Where the Bud flows free and the delectable mini-burgers are gobbled up by piranha like attendees, Fyfe Dangerfield, probably still best known as the lead singer for Brit Award nominees The Guillemots, came to showcase some of his latest songs from 'Fly Yellow Moon', his debut solo album released on Polydor on 18 January 2010.

The evening was opened by Simon Lynge, a very nice eskimo who plies his trade in Seattle. His 20 minutes of love songs provided a pleasant enough background to the burger scoffing although his talent while abundant needs some refining.

Unfortunately for him, Lynge’s rawness was exposed by the young Dangerfield, who at the very least is a polished musician of merit. Dressed somewhat drably in a dark suit with shining long hair, his Birmingham roots were barely detectable in his speech and less so in his singing voice.

Kicking off with 'Livewire', a left-handed guitar offering with a few catchy riffs, Dangerfield (nee Hutchins) moved swiftly through the gears, his next track beginning with some production skills he modestly said were limited, but allowed him to hint at his range whilst doffing away at the keyboard. I for one will never grow tired of this effortless switch between instruments and it was equally impressive to see the 30 year old in his 'zone’, wildly banging his head whilst aggressively tinkling the keys. Some of his tracks were reminiscent of the sound heard on The Guillemots’ 2006 album 'Through the Windowpane' the avant-garde flavours of which were occasionally employed with the aid of a pair of violinists.

'Faster than the setting sun' from the new album was proffered to increasingly enthusiastic listeners who had been denied further nibbles and libations until the artist finished his set. My mouth was starting to become quite dehydrated. My musical appetite was also far from whetted with 'Bicycle Made for Two' where his Connor Oberst sound came to the fore and it dawned that perhaps he had peaked.

The ever modest singer confessed to the crowd he had to You Tube himself that afternoon to remind himself how he played his next song, as he ably recreated Girls Aloud’s hit 'Call the Shots' with mellow bluesy guitar and his individual crooning, which confirmed my reservations that despite its enjoyability, signalled a summit had been reached. His final three songs were less than memorable and my mind wandered until he came out for a commendable (and improved) two song encore featuring one of his Guillemots’ classics.

While the burgers were replaced by chocolate brownies at the finish, my mouth was sated, and I had a chance to reflect, his performance on this occasion outweighed the content. Be that as it may, he is certainly an artist to keep an eye on and depending on his musical direction, he may well prove to be able to produce a top class solo album in years to come. 'Fly Yellow Moon' is a good start for a talented man who will no doubt realise his strengths - and appeal - lie in the rich piano numbers and riff-based guitar tracks.