picture from Nottingham Post
(This is the original unedited version of the review I submitted to the Nottingham Post, I am not sure why they removed what they did.)
If you’re a musician from
Nottingham then the opportunity to play at Rock City will be pretty high on
your to-do list; before the expression was sullied you might have called it
your ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ wish, but it’s probably best if we don’t. Callum ‘Saint
Raymond’ Burrows is the second home grown artist to play to a sellout crowd at
City, and in my opinion the first deserving one. Although it is only February,
after last night people are already talking about what we saw being listed high
on the list of gigs of the year.
At only nineteen years old, Callum
already comes across as something of a veteran of the local music scene. He
played his first gig while most of us were squeezing our spots and he has never
looked back. Fast forward through his teens and he now has three EP releases
under his belt, festival appearances, national and local radio sessions and a
major recording contract. This tour follows a jaunt around the arenas as
support for MOR wallpaper Ed Sheeran, so you can’t accuse him of being idle.
Sadly I missed the opening act
Fickle Friends and only caught the very end of Amber Run, a band who shared the
Nottingham Rocks 2013 stage with Saint Raymond. They proved popular with the
crowd and warmed them right up for the main event with their audience pleasing
ditties and easy rapport. I have seen a lot of big name acts at this venue over
the years but I can’t recall this many people, and never before has the phrase
‘out on a school night’ seemed so literal.
Building up the anticipation
by getting the rest of the band on first, Callum casually walked onto the stage
and stood on a monitor to take in the applause of 1,950 people before getting
right down to business. Never a particularly chatty young man, (typical
teenager eh?), the music did all the talking, kicking off with ‘Letting Go’
followed after enquiring who was up for a party by ‘Everything She Wants’, the
audience sang every word back to him with what can only be described as ‘gusto’
with Callum presiding over them with the skills of a master showman with
everyone in the palm of his hand. The band took a little rest while we were treated
to a solo song that he “only wrote last week”; I didn’t catch the title
unfortunately but I’m sure everyone will soon.
Returning alone for the encore
with his hymn to Nottingham ‘This Town’ and closing in style with the band and
a storming rendition of ‘Fall At Your Feet’ and declaring this the best night
of his life, he left the stage a hero.
Displaying none of the arrogance
and self-importance of certain Nottingham musicians, he occasionally looked as
if he could quite believe the situation he was in. Believe it, next time the
arena wouldn’t be unrealistic and maybe he’ll remember that Sheeran bloke and
let him support?
