Live Review: Jamie Hutchings, Buddy Glass

Buddy Glass is the stage name for Bruno Brayovic (Peabody) in his solo guise.

With a recently released solo debut under his belt he took the audience on a journey through those songs, stripped-back to just his voice and acoustic guitar. There were flashes of the wit and venom often seen with Peabody but for the most part Glass focused on the songs, which were raw in subject matter and obviously born from a deeply tumultuous end to a relationship. There was little hiding behind obtuse metaphors as Glass laid the experience out with poetic candour and in particular showed his strong and melodic vocal range. The Spinning Titanic stood out with its State Trooper vibe, as did the grand balladry of Just Me & The Dark.

Jamie Hutchings was celebrating 20 years in the music industry, a milestone for any musician but especially one who has constantly challenged himself – from the dark and emotive rock of Bluebottle Kiss through the more intimate solo albums and onto his current work in Infinity Broke.

Hutchings started right at the beginning with a track from BBK’s Higher Up The Firetrails and proceeded chronologically through the numerous highlights across two decades. The vibe in the room was warm, interactive and celebratory as acoustic versions of Autumn Comes Too Soon, the exquisite Girl Genius, Everything Begins And Ends At Exactly The Right Time, Gangsterland, Father’s Hands, Ounce Of  Your Cruelty, Beautifully Tragic and many more were played. Hutchings chatted more than he probably ever has on stage, giving an insight into the genesis and inspiration of the songs and experiences that surrounded them with self-deprecating humour, dedications and some healthy sarcasm. That personal interaction was crucial to the success of the evening and connected Hutchings to his audience, who showed genuine love and passion for his body of music.