Louis Berry and Jalen N’Gonda gig review – Liverpool Music Week

Posted on 1 November 2016
By Kenny Baker
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Breakthrough talent Louis Berry brought his unique brand of rough and ready bluesy rock home to roost at Liverpool Music Week last night and won over the audience completely.

Louis has made his feelings about the music industry known in recent interviews, with such statements like this: “If someone tells me I have to go out there and impress some people because they’re important to my career, I’d rather go out there and really piss them off. Because this should be about the songs and a belief that everything else is bo***cks.

“I walk around thinking ‘people in Liverpool, can’t you see what they are doing to you?’. There’s so much to say and no one is saying it. I’m going to be the lad who does.”

Louis took to the stage at Leaf, on Bold Street, with real swagger and charm, carrying that rough and ready look, which amplifies the feel of his music.

There is an element of Johnny Cash within Louis’ songs. He takes a ‘tell it as it is’ kind of approach to songwriting, which evidently works for the young Liverpudlian lad.

The storytelling within the songs, is what really connects with the audience, with Louis singing a series of relatable songs which resonate particularly well with the home crowd.

The most notable songs from Louis’ set, had to be ‘Restless’ which is his most recent release and ‘.45’ which is an extremely bluesy rock tune.

The set list kept us interested and in anticipation to what Louis would play next. The balance of upbeat songs and slower songs was spot on.

But, as most of the audience would agree, the only downside to the set was the fact that it flew by so fast. Louis left the crowd wanting more, which means he will have plenty more gigs to play in Liverpool and we at Purple Revolver look forward to seeing him again soon.
Main support act Jalen N’Gonda deserves an honourable mention. He brought his rock-blues voice and tunes to the stage, which resonated with the audience as they nodded along to his songs such as ‘Why I Try’.

Jalen captivated the audience with his warm soulful voice, which boasts elements of huskiness and roughness, giving him a powerful rock aura around his sound.

Jalen’s final song was his most well-known song, ‘Holler’, his first and only release currently available to the public.

Liverpool Music Week continues, finishing Friday 4th at the Liverpool North Docklands – http://www.liverpoolmusicweek.com

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