Dan Patlansky - O2 Islington Academy 2, London (UK) - 02 May 2017
It was only upon the release of his last two magnificent studio albums, 2014's 'Dear Silence Thieves' and 2016's 'IntroVertigo', that Dan Patlansky started making a name for himself outside of his native country. Hailing from the captivating lands of South Africa, the equally captivating award-winning singer/guitarist/song-writer has visited the UK several times in the last few years, including solo tours and support tours with highly respected acts such as King King and Joe Satriani. Hence it was time to return to keep pleasing his growing fan-base.
His traditional formula of executing his heartfelt music, juggling dynamics to perfection, means he can easily transcend from a pianissimo that silences the venue with awe (and even turn the volume completely off) to a vibrant fortissimo in a matter of seconds. Unlike his previous visits, on this occasion he opted for hiring European musicians to accompany him, and as the humble person he is, he allowed the Germans Felix Dehmel on drums, Jonathan Murphy on bass and Tom Gatza on keyboards to share the limelight on their instruments giving them solo spots.
Opening up with the instrumental 'Drone', Patlansky shows he is in total control of his guitar, and from the next song – 'Sonnova Faith' − onwards lets us hear his raspy and enchanting vocal abilities, focusing on the two albums above showcasing the Rockers 'Stop The Messin' and 'Backbite' to the moving 'Bet On Me'. Extended versions of some of them demonstrate that, as the true artist he is, he plays for the moment and lets himself drift into the ultimate guitar experience.
Although I truly missed the breath-taking 'Madison Lane' from '...Thieves' in the set-list, he replaces it with the equally moving 'Still Wanna Be Your Man' from his latest release, and keeps the older 'Bring The World To Its Knees' and 'Daddy's Old Gun' on the evening's repertoire. The encores come in the shape of 'Loosen Up' and 'Fetch Your Spade', and the South African star abandons the stage to huge acclaim. Yet the imminent question was why was such a small (making it packed and hot) venue booked in the first instance. The good news is that, if all goes to plan, he will return in October in a support capacity for another major act to perform in the larger stages where he belongs. Keep an eye out for dates and a new album, for Dan Patlansky is sure to stay in your music collection for a long time.
Mónica Castedo-López
Photo Credit: Allan Jones
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