Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
Cal Ruddy at Studio 2, Liverpool. October 2019. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
There is no greater sense of satisfaction in the eye of the gig attendee or fan than to witness the musician-songwriter emerge fully into the light, the cocoon shed, the wings spread out as wide as possible and the flight they are about to urge you to join them on. A journey that has been practised and perfected upon and then with visible joy etched upon the faces of all who present, the artist earns their wings; all you can do now after all the support, all the concerns and applause is to wish them well, for the next time you hear about them it might be with a personal postcard sent from Elliston Place.
It may have been two years in the making but for those who have taken the journey with Liverpool’s Cal Ruddy, to see songs from the debut album Elliston Place being performed to a crowded room of supporters and the faithful at Studio 2 on Parr Street, that is the moment when all has been worth it, the journey, which took in a life defining expedition of self-discovery in Nashville, has reached a junction, Cal Ruddy’s place assured, but there is now the expectation of even more, of greater encounters and unearthing of spirit.
It was that spirit that shone from the start of his album launch night at the famous home of album recordings, and as Cal Ruddy and his band start the evening of with the song Listen To Me, the hairs on the back of the neck perk up, the tune finds its haunting way into the conscious and the display of youthful polish, organic but filled with elegance and raw control, it is like a bolt of lightning hitting the mind; you just know that time has been biding its own mind for the right moment to show just how Cal Ruddy has grown as a performer and a lyric writer.
Across songs such as Nobody From Nowhere, Rocket Science, Days Like This, Dance The Night Away, Leave The Light On, and the acoustic numbers Buying Time, December’s Friend and a cover of the Everly Brothers classic Long Time Gone, which he duetted with Charlotte Mary, Cal Ruddy proved his worth time and time again, not that he had to, for like many of his peers and music influences in the city, he is a talent that has worked beyond expectation, he is wrapped his time in fighting for his belief, and the sweat, blood and tears have shown, the bruises have been seen, but he has fought to a place where he can pick up the flag of others with pride, with accomplishment, and smile.
To be at the beginning of the journey is a stroke of fortune, to see the artist fly is to behold the stage they have walked on with a sense of honour and for anyone who was at Studio 2 for the launch of his new album, it was an honour that felt blessed.
Ian D. Hall