Tonight marks the end of Kevin Devine’s brief acoustic tour in support of his ninth album ‘Instigator’. The intimate Komedia Studio Bar is the perfect venue – small and full of devoted listeners, some of whom choose to sit cross-legged on the floor for the duration of his two hour set.
Opening with the last song on the new album, ‘I Was Alive Back Then’, seems a strange choice, but its story of contentment and joy at being a new father sets the pace for the rest of the show. Devine is a man at the top of his game and this comfortable high point allows him to revisit his lows and tackle difficult subject matter with confidence and a smile on his face.
The Brooklyn born songwriter treats us to six songs from the storming new record, and each of them pack a punch even without the backing of The Goddamn Band. The stark honesty of ‘Freddie Gray Blues’, a song written in the wake of police violence against unarmed black people in America, stands out as brief and bittersweet break in the set’s positivity.
Devine is no stranger to writing a political song, and performs some of the more cutting tracks tonight, perhaps a reflection on his home country’s current situation. ‘No History’ contemplates the cataclysm of events that have occurred since 9/11 and ‘Nobel Prize’ from 2013’s ‘Bubblegum’ targets the hypocrisy of world leaders.
He chooses to steer clear of any political stage banter, instead chatting with the audience about his previous trips to Brighton, his recent visit to Facebook HQ (“they just sit on bean bags and play Fifa”) and how GIF is pronounced.
His charming, sunny stage presence helps to give light to songs about darker times in his life. Before playing 2005’s ‘You Are The Daybreak’ at an audience member’s request, Devine jokes about how unwell he was at the time of writing it but insists that he and the ex-girlfriend it was written for are “alright now”.
Devine confidently skips through set classics such as ‘Another Bag Of Bones’ and ‘Carnival’, reminding us of what makes the songwriter so special – his ability to perform with the energy and volume of a punk band despite being all alone on the stage. He has a true command of his craft and his closing performance of the powerful ‘Brother’s Blood’ leaves us blown away by the talent housed inside his slight, unassuming frame.
Komedia Studio Bar, Thurs 20th October 2016
Words by Jasmine Scott
