Dawson Down Under

August 30, 2015

RD 1(1)WITCHDOCTOR DOESN’T PESTER its highly evolved readers with endless announcements about touring acts, because we respect you too much for that.

But we do like to tell you about those visiting acts who are somehow distinct from the endless parade of fuzzed-out indie groups and nostalgic ’80s reunions. We like to tell you when someone unique and perhaps less well known but no less great for it comes to our parts.

Richard Dawson is like that. He’s an English singer-songwriter who has been trumpeted critics at The Wire, The Guardian, Quietus and Pitchfork, amongst others. Dawson may not be top 40, but it is revered in certain circles.

The Guardian described him as “extraordinary… a strange, discordant reconfiguration of English folk traditions.”

The Wire magazine’s description is perhaps more vivid: “Accompanying himself on a battered acoustic guitar, with his fingerpicking amplified to a rusty and jagged carillon, his vocals swing from a splintering tree trunk roar – often delivered without a microphone – to a finely worked falsetto.”

RD PORTRAITRichard Dawson spent years incubating his singular art, becoming a quiet legend on the Newcastle experimental scene before exploding across the UK and Europe with the delicately observed personal lilt of his breakthrough 2012 album, The Magic Bridge. Invitations then followed to perform at many festivals, and he was lauded by the crucial magazines and media. Subsequent albums The Glass Bridge (2013) and Nothing Important (2014) have fulfilled and extended the promise of his earlier work, meeting unanimous critical acclaim.

Richard Dawson appears at the Whammy Bar, Auckland on Thursday 8 October; Meow, Wellington on Friday 9 October; Chicks Hotel, Dunedin on Wednesday 14 October, and The Wunderbar, Christchurch on Friday 16 October.

And of course, the wonderful thing about supporting “underground” artists, apart from communing in an intimate space and seeing them at their best, is the ticket prices: pre-sales a mere $20 (from Under The Radar), and on the night (if they’re still available) $25.

Avatar photo

Steel has been penning his pungent prose for 40 years for publications too numerous to mention, most of them consigned to the annals of history. He is Witchdoctor's Editor-In-Chief/Music and Film Editor. He has strong opinions and remains unrepentant. Steel's full bio can be found here

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Give a little to support Witchdoctor's quest to save high quality independent journalism. It's easy and painless! Just donate $5 or $10 to our PressPatron account by clicking on the button below.

Authors

WIn a Wiim Ultra Network Music Streamer with Witchdoctor.co.nz
Panasonic Fire TV Be Mesmerised with next gen AI TV
Advance Paris - Designed with French flair. Amplifiers, Streamers, CD players and more www.pqimports.co.nz
Previous Story

Q Acoustics 3050 Floorstanding Speaker REVIEW

Next Story

THE JUJU JUKEBOX โ€“ Running Playlist

Latest from Concerts

Perfect Pitch

Twenty-five years ago GARY STEEL met up with wayward Kiwi electronic duo Pitch Black for a nice chat. A NZ Music Month special.
Go toTop