Dan Wilson at St Giles Church

Dan Wilson is an established artist who has that annoying burden of being categorised as an act who is painfully underrated. Perhaps the best example of that dubious title is the fact that the Grammy Award winner is tonight playing an intimate gig at a central London church. The venue is such an intriguing choice: there is an immediate sense of eerie calm filling the hall as the audience arrive and take their seats on the church pews.

The opening track soon blows away any awkward vibes in the dusty building as A Song Can Be About Anything fills the billowy hall and reverberates around like a trapped angel, much to the crowd’s pleasure. Wilson is almost at the same level as the crowd and eases any tension by declaring that the lighting gives him a “horror movie face”. Crowd interaction is a common theme as he often displays his impressive comic abilities and gives inside information about his famous songs. The set is kept acoustic all night and gives the gig an atmospherically buoyant tone as Wilson is completely dependent on just his voice and guitar, two instruments that never let the singer down.

Wilson’s voice is an impressive weapon as the acoustics in the building allow it to ring around. Songs like One True Love and Free Life sound beautifully harmonic and perfectly display his glorious vocal range. Piano accompaniment and a bit of harmonica and cello are also chucked in to give the set a more polished feel and amp up the folky soft-rock components. Covers of Wilson’s more famous tracks like Adele’s Someone Like You and Taylor Swift’s Treacherous are special treats and the stories of their recording are equally show-stopping. A sing-a-long of classic track Closing Time in the final part perfectly ends the show as the every member of the audience leaves with a smile on their face.

While the audience number might not have been the healthiest for such an esteemed artist, those in the grand room must definitely have felt that they saw something special on the night – Wilson not only played to perfection, but also offered up brilliantly interesting career stories throughout.

Keir Smith
Photos: Erol Birsen

For further information about Dan Wilson and future events visit here.

Watch the video for A Song Can Be About Anything here: