Thornton Hough Village club & bar presents Joe Little & Paul Reaney Sat 8th Feb

On Saturday 8th February in the sleepy village of Thornton Hough on a rainy Saturday evening, Thornton Hough Village Club and bar offered a night of acoustic music to its members and non members alike. Two singer-songwriters took their turns and each performed a solo set, showcasing their musical talent. Folk, blues and Soul being the genres on offer for the listeners aural pleasure.First on stage was 18 year old singer-songwriter Joe Little who graced the small crowd with his presence. Joe performed a impressive eleven tracks and captivated the audience with his strong vocal delivery and mastery of his acoustic guitar. What strikes you about Joe's performance is his unassuming and humble nature. As soon as he sings, the audience is drawn in. His lyrics are penned with brutal honesty, tackling diverse subject matters being delivered with a raw emotion that grabs your attention.

Joe Little performing "Flowers" at Thornton Hough Village & Bar 8/2/14

Joe opened with a track called "Replace" and followed this with a cover of  The Black Keys "lonely boy" ; an upbeat toe-tapping rendition. A newly penned track called "Time" ensued which Joe teased the audience with during the sound check.He sang "Time goes so quickly, happiness lies on the horizon". - an emotive track filled with energy.

Despite forgetting the words four tracks in and making the plea "what was the first line dad?" Joe gave a convincing honest performance. This honesty serves to endear him to his audience. There was a great atmosphere even though the crowd was small. It felt like a performance to a select few and  the low numbers did not detract from the quality of the performance or ambiance. It made the experience a more intimate one and the audience seemed happy.

Other tracks performed by Joe included original tracks "Flowers", "Travelling", "Sun-burnt", "Take a breath" and "Further Away". In addition were covers of Bob Marley's "No Woman, no cry" and Damien Rice's "Volcano".

Joe Little performing "Take a breath"

From sombre tracks such as "Take a breath" where the listener is left waiting to exhale to more light-hearted tracks such as "Sun-burnt", the audience was able to witness the fact that Joe Little is a force to be reckoned with a diverse mix of material and quiet confidence to boot. His self-titled EP is available for purchase. The self-effacing artist told us at the end of us his set. Here's hoping that we hear a lot more of Joseph Little.

Joe Little - Facebook: 
Joe Little - Reverbnation

Paul Reaney provided the audience with the second half of the entertainment for the evening; an artist that started his musical career as a guitarist. This has clearly proved to be a great foundation for the vocally gifted performer.  Paul's first track "Angeline" was an uplifting one and he wasted no time in getting the audience to participate by singing the chorus. From the outset, it was clear that Paul was going to engage with his crowd; not only delighting them with his vocal and great guitar playing but also with his witty repartee.

Paul performed a plethora of tracks, I think I counted twelve in total - each beautifully executed and with stunning guitar performances. There is no doubt that Paul is a talented artist when it comes to playing and singing. I was particularly impressed when he used a loop machine. Tracks performed included many from his acoustic album "A Town like this".

Paul Reaney performing "The Queen Of The Seven Stars"

When Paul sang "Watch the evening fall" a slow ballad, the finale was met with rapturous applause from the audience, many of whom sang along throughout. Most of the tracks were jam packed with a mix of Blues and folk rhythm, very evocative of classic Blues tracks. In his track "The Queen of the seven Stars" where he tells the tale of a girl that captured his heart when he was young, the comedic interjections served to amuse the audience whilst softening the blow of the sadness of the tale. This was a display of pure genius, a catchy melody, humour and a poignant bitter sweet message served up by Paul.

It was clear that many of the audience were familiar with Paul's songs, this was the first time I had witnessed him perform but the fact that people sang along and interacted with him was a testament to his ability to work the crowd and please them with his delivery.

Paul delivered a very credible set and his interaction with the crowd was second to none. He showed remarkable focus despite being heckled by a well meaning over-exuberant audience member and sang like a true professional. His final song saw him accompanied by a rather talented gentleman who I believe was called Frank who provided accompaniment in the form of a harmonica. This was the piece de resistance and got the audience signing and jigging along in response.


Paul Reaney - A Town Like This
Paul Reaney Facebook

Well done to Dave Wood and all at Thornton Hough Village Club and Bar for putting on a thoroughly enjoyable night. If more people were made aware of the regular gigs, it would enhance such evenings all the more.