Charlie Landsborough, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. November 2015. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating   * * * *

There is no doubting the appeal of Charlie Landsborough, a man of delicate persuasion, of faith in all things and to whom the guitar holds no fear; he is a man with a twinkle in his eye and a joke ready for his adoring audience in between each well thought out and evenly tempered song. Even when all is said and done he finds time to make the crowd, perhaps with one eye on the festive period ahead, perhaps with half a mind on finally getting dry after the deluge of the November day that hit the streets of Liverpool, feel welcome at his show perhaps arguably with more keenness of spirit that any other musician doing the rounds.

Faith is a huge part of Mr. Landsborough’s life and music, the styling’s of a life that has been abundant, perhaps by his own admission unexpected, and one that has allowed him to become one of the most sought after musicians to listen to, certainly in the Merseyside arena, the music has remained consistent and fruitful.

The timeless songs, the tune of the country ballad and the back drop of Nashville interwoven through the streets of Birkenhead, the detours into the pubs and clubs of the Liverpool basin all garner affection, all shine a light of responsibility and longing from the Philharmonic stage and down into each of the beating hearts within the auditorium; the sound a guitar nestled under the many folded truth offered by well placed lyrics, lapped up by the multitude and given that one true meaning of faith in the performer.

The evening flowed across the two sets like smoothly spread Cheshire butter across several well baked loaves and in songs such as Five Fingers, I Want Someone Who Will Love Me, The Closest Thing To My Heart, Getting By, Oh Nancy, the excellent I Am Red, an interesting cover of John Lennon’s Crippled Inside, his first major success in What Colour Is The Wind, Looking For A Destination and the eagerly awaited My Forever Friend, Charlie Landsborough and his backing band made the delicate tangible and the grace of each song a stirring of the resolute and precious.

A man who has never forgot his roots or the people who put him where he stands now, one of the leading exponents of Country music in the U.K., a man of the people by the people and definitely for the people, especially in Liverpool.

A cracking night of music captured and framed by a Merseyside legend on the final night of his tour.

Ian D. Hall