Kevin Devine rocked Rough Trade Bristol last night, with a setlist of 10 years of his music…

New York’s Kevin Devine played a sell-out show last night at Rough Trade Bristol, as part of a 4 stop tour of the UK, followed by an 8 stop visit to Germany, starting this week.

The night was opened by the amazing Mark McCabe. Chef by day, musician by night, mark played us a range of his songs, from the not so happy to the downright depressing, but nevertheless a great way to open the evening. A special shout out must go to this man, as it was the first time he’s played a show in over a year, and he completely owned the stage.

A short break, and then we were treated to the music of Lande Hekt. Although normally with her full band, Muncie Girls, Lande played solo for us last night, with a mix of songs from her latest album Gigantic Disappointment and some unreleased tracks. Lande’s amazing voice and brilliant guitar skills definitely make her an artist to look out for.

And at just after 9:45, the crowd welcomed the main man, Mr Kevin Devine onto the stage. Kevin said some introductions before playing his 2009 album Brother’s Blood in full. Between the 11 songs, stories were told, conversations with audience members were shared and a great time was had by all. “Our Kev” – as a loud Bristolian man in the crowd knighted him – shared his experiences of songwriting, his early childhood, and his views on religion. Everyone there enjoyed his tales, and his brilliant stage presence, both during a song and in between, kept everyone on edge.

After the album had been played in full, a couple of requests were played by Kevin before final thank yous were said. The night was ended with Cotton Crush, an ever popular song of Kevin’s, and was met by sing-alongs from the crowd. After his set, Kevin stuck around to take pictures and sell merch.

And with that, a massive thank you must be said to Mark McCabe, Lande Hekt, Kevin Devine and all the staff at Rough Trade Bristol (despite charging extortionate prices at the bar – £4.00 for a can of Cider?)

Review by Ted Stargatt