Taking the Michael
Gig Review by Dawn / Band Photo courtesy of Clarkesville
No corny ‘last train’ jokes and no needlessly
flashy language: any review of Clarkesville ought
to focus firmly on the music and on the rare talent that is mainman
Michael Clarke.
Supporting the highly-rated Rooney and promoting
debut album The Half Chapter, the band suffer more than
their fair share of technical problems but still manage to outshine
the American headliners as their blond frontman impresses on guitar,
piano and vocals.
The eye-catching video for forthcoming debut single
Secret File is already on rotation on music channels such
as The Amp, and anyone fortunate enough to have seen it will also
have witnessed the infectious energy which has already become synonymous
with Michael’s live performance. Steve, Nikolaj and Richie,
meanwhile, do a sterling job on bass, guitar/keys and drums respectively
yet, while they complement him perfectly, there is no disputing
the fact that Michael is the focal point of the Clarkesville show.
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Tonight’s support slot comprises only six songs,
but the band make the stage their own from the moment the intriguing and
ethereal looped sounds of Evergreen begin. Other highlights are
Heavy Soul - probably the strongest track on the Half Chapter
album and surely a future single – and the wonderfully hypnotic
Just Kills Me, which builds up beautifully to its crescendo climax
of piano and guitar and brings the set to a perfect end.
At only 22 years of age, he freely admits that he still
has much to learn, and yet new acts rarely show as much promise as Michael
Clarke and his bandmates. He has the charm, the voice, the stage presence
and he certainly has the songs and with time he’ll surely blossom
into the finished article. The future is definitely bright in Clarkesville.
Thanks to the Clarkesville boys,
to Mark and James. Visit www.Clarkesville.net
for more information, or www.TheDeciphers.net
for Michael and Steve's latest musical incarnation.
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Clarkesville
interview | Middlesbrough Empire | 27/07/03
