Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Whether Matt Breen is performing acoustically or as part of some big electric effort which blows the cobwebs from the eco-system around him, there is no doubting this young man’s incredible appeal and honest likeability when watching him on stage and off it when you are in his company.

As part of the afternoons musical entertainment laid on at Camp and Furnace and with the craft fair in full swing, Matt Breen once more showed his mettle, his guile and charming disposition as he followed Gary Edward Jones and Nighthowl onto the stage and gave his usual high octane, even for an acoustic set, performance.

Standing on stage in the middle of the afternoon without the aid of a venue’s darkness to hide behind can be daunting for some and it takes a confidence not found in some to show the real you in front of people busy looking at something new on trestles tables and in the public domain. Matt Breen though is made of stern stuff and beneath the youthful sunny exterior that he radiates is a young man on a mission to show, along with so many others that the future of music that comes from Liverpool is in very safe hands.

With a new project under way, a chance to catch Mr. Breen on stage and play around with some very cool songs as just him with his soul bared is too much of an opportunity to miss and with tracks such as I Do, the great Not Guilty, the outrageously clever and sardonic I Don’t Know Who You Are Anymore and Walkin’ in his set, there was much joy to be had looking round and seeing people suddenly stop their purchasing and taking in the raw and unfiltered ability that Matt Breen has in spades.

The quiet ambience that Camp and Furnace provides, the oasis in a busy city, always seems to throw together some amazing talent that compliments each other perfectly, on the best weekend that the British weather could provide so far, this combination was just sublime and in Matt Breen, his mission remains untainted and on track.

Ian D. Hall