Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
On any night in which providence strikes, to open yourself up to the elements, to throw yourself down on the barbed wire of artistic integrity and be seen, to be witnessed as the moment in which the evening’s flourished bloom begins, that is fortune, but in the hands of Charlie McKeon as he set the tone of the evening for Thom Morecroft’s album launch at Liverpool’s Studio 2, it was of farsighted destiny.
To surround yourself with those who want the best for you is a natural human trait, to receive it back, to be seen as an equal, to be in harmony with your chosen field of speciality, that is the sign of admiration and honest respect. Charlie McKeon deserves fully such appreciation, a firm favourite of Liverpool’s acoustic fanbase, his position in life is one in which to entertain is a priority, to have a smiling expression respond to his work is akin to seeing the wonder on a child’s face when confronted by the mysteries of the Universe placed before them; such things are priceless, such moments cannot be contained when let out of the bottle.
An album launch is a precious beast, it requires great planning, one wrong move, one false step, and it can come crashing down, like the comedian who chooses a novice juggler as their opening act, balls spill, the audience dissatisfied take their judgement out on the rest of the evening. In the hands of Charlie McKeon though, not only were the juggled songs of Sarah Wears Her Painted Hair, Shea Beag Shea Morg, Whywahwhy, Army Song, Cello Tape and All Good Things Go tossed and caught with ease, but they added soul to the deftness of his touch, to the moment of delight that seeks to explain even the smallest mystery.
Christmas may be upon us, the decorations hang in glistening silence as plans are made for the coming year, and yet perhaps one of the biggest presents anyone could ask for is to have Charlie McKeon perform for them, a tremendous present from Thom Morecroft to his own audience as he included one of the best to be part of his own evening.
Gracious, amusing, self-deprecating brilliance, Charlie McKeon’s presence is always one of pleasure.
Ian D. Hall