Last night I was invited down to The Bedford Pub in Balham, London to see Paddy James play to a sold out crowd.
An unknown artist to me, he has worked with the same producer as Rhys Lewis (someone I saw play live in New York), so I guessed the genre would be quite similar and it would be very unlike me to pass up tickets to live music.
Although there was a storm raging outside, the room was full to the brim by the time Paddy James stepped onto the stage and full of energy, ready to dance and sing for the next 60 minutes.
Support act Tim Gerard
I didn’t know what to expect from the support act Tim Gerard as I was also very new to his music, but he graced the stage with only a guitar and started to play.
To quickly summarise, I would happily sit through a full evening of listening to Tim Gerard and was quick to follow him on social media so I could keep up with his live performance dates in London as I will be first to buy a ticket.
The original songs were catchy, with great lyrics and I knew I would be adding them to my favourites on Spotify when I got home.
Listening to Tim Gerard transported me back to the bars of Nashville, and then out came the harmonica.
I was blown away to say the least, by the guitar skills, the harmonica and the voice. Not to mention the catchy songs that I can’t stop listening to.
Tim Gerard, you’ve got yourself a new fan and I can’t wait to introduce your music to as many people as possible.
Follow Tim Gerard on Instagram here, check out his Spotify here and keep up to date with any news on his website here.
The headliner Paddy James
There were a lot of Paddy James fans in the room wearing merchandise, ready for the main man to take to the stage.
With a full band, we were in for a great performance. The opening numbers were a lot rockier than the vibe Tim Gerard had set with his opener, but was similar to the style of music of Sam Fender.
The performance continued to maintain an upbeat, folk-rock style of music until later in the set when the slower songs came through. Paddy James finished with popular songs like Mr Alcohol and Lost Boy which pleased the audience who danced and sang along.
Favourite songs of the night were: For the Pride, What Makes A Man and Love Lost. I’ve had For the Pride on repeat all morning.
A great night of music with a great atmosphere, I’d definitely go to a Paddy James gig again, for sure.
You can check out Paddy James on Spotify here, follow him on Instagram here, and keep up with live shows/news on his website here.
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