Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Whilst the crowds flock en masse to the Liverpool side of the Mersey to watch the grand spectacle of foreign ships and their crews making their way into port, on the Wirral, the small town of Hoylake was gearing up for its annual Oxjam music event and seemingly nowhere was in more of a mood to enjoy the late but welcome turn in the weather as spring in its youthful guise made a timely appearance.

Six venues hosting some great young talent and in Nick Kenwright, otherwise known as the superb Kenny & The Energy, this was a man who took playing music to a completely new level for virtually any one catching his live set but also he was the only performer to play at all six establishments. Tiring enough for a solo artist enjoying the reflective mood of those his name had managed to convince the audience to take in but when you consider what else he does, the effect is mind blowing.

Although hearing any young performer make a huge set list completely out of covers can be disheartening, like watching white clothes being re-boiled over and over again to remove any semblance of originality, if it is going to happen then at least put your own spin, your own personal stamp on them in such a way that they sound fresh and exciting. Kenny & The Energy does that and leaves the discerning crowd asking, baying, for more.

With just his costumed made twin guitar/ukulele, an instrument that looks odd at first glance but once heard is never forgotten, and the addition of a loop pedal, Kenny/Nick hammers  home the inventiveness, the sheer brilliance of what he hears and transfers with ease to give old songs a swift kick up the arse.  With tracks such as Bob Dylan’s Quinn the Eskimo, made famous in the U.K. by the outstanding Manfred Mann, Room 5’s Make Love, Harry Neilson’s Coconut and Stardust’s Music Sounds Better With You, this isn’t just a man who plays music because he can, he is a living breathing machine, capable of creating a vigour, a musical definition that is hard to ignore and one that once heard makes the listener smile at the very thought.

Young inspired bands who don’t want to take risks with their music should take note, even a cover can sound original and gratifying if re-created with enough power and thought. Astonishingly good.    

Ian D. Hall