Murdo Mitchell at The Deaf Institute, Manchester | Gig Review - 28/03/2024
April 8 | Written By Jessica Pispisa
On the eve of the upcoming Easter holiday, most people, religious or not, may be in a reflective, or apprehensive mood. Everyone is in a different state of mind, some relaxed, anxious, and everything in between. Scottish-born singer-songwriter Murdo Mitchell, safe to say, is experienced to be playing to all kinds of people stopping or passing by. A young man who has paid his dues busking up and down the country for over a decade, and who is about to become indie music’s next big star.
Beginning his set solo (dressed fashionably all in black, with heavy silver rings adorning his strumming hand) he starts with the beautiful, sensual ballad ‘June in July’. Mitchell sings and strums the guitar not only with his whole body, but with his soul, which is in full display with ‘Come On, Lucy’. His throaty voice lays bare the kind of ache only desire and passion can evoke and may well convince a cynic that these emotions are not for the weak. He follows with ‘Room Number 7’, a song with a folksy vibe that gives a taste of what’s to come once his four-piece band join him on stage. This young troubadour can also craft more than beautiful love songs, as proven by ‘Aztec Jewel’ which is about the “the differences in social classes” , and one, he admits, it’s his “most middle of the road song”. ‘French Defence’, also a social commentary, has the chorus that he encourages the crowd to sing-along to, with the band all gathering around his microphone to bring it all together. Everyone is having a fun-stomping time at this point, which makes you forget we only had 45 minutes with him. ‘Your Skin’ is a standout, which the violinist accompanies Mitchell’s vocals with a coda that travels along to a musical crescendo that leaves one needing a breath after cheering. He closes with ‘Hollow’, one of his older songs that he used to play that has “found its magic” again.
In between the songs, Mitchell playfully banters with the audience, and the crowd not only revere him, but reciprocate right back. Jolly covers of Britney Spears’ classic ‘...Baby One More Time’ and Afroman’s iconic stoner anthem ‘I Got High’ are dropped between the set, and a lovely shout out to his dad, who was in the back. Mitchell is charismatic, humble, and immensely gifted. It is going to take him far.
His opening acts were Manchester’s own Doad and harpist Quincey May Brown, and who deserve special shout outs. As the opening acts, they were idyllic and original in their own way.
It’s very clear from his music that Murdo Mitchell not only can look inward and interpret his feelings so clearly, but also have an original sound to his own perspective of the world around him. His awareness is sharp, and you can easily sense that in his performance, no doubt his busking roots having contributed to that. His stop in Manchester for his mini tour was a brilliant musical interlude during these trying and tiring times.