“Music and Moonshine” at Prohibition Cabaret Bar in Gateshead was the latest event hosted by Sam Wright NE, and featured sets from local acoustic artists Cara Pearson Acoustics, Doozy Rowlands, Brother Joe and Aaron Wiggett. The original line-up for the evening was slightly different, yet despite this, the showcase can be considered a huge success, and brought local, interesting talent to the 20’s-themed cabaret venue.
It was immediately apparent that Prohibition was designed with events like this in mind, and the bar features a gorgeous performance space similar to something you would find within a jazz bar in the 1920’s. It was here that Cara Pearson started the showcase, using both a ukulele and guitar throughout her set to perform covers from 21 pilots to panic at the disco, with her own unique acoustic twist.
The stage was then cleared to make room for singer-songwriter Doozy Rowlands, who has never failed to capture an audience with his own original material and earthy voice. Doozy set the tone for the rest of the evening perfectly, and even performed songs which typically fall under the metal genre in a way that was beautifully stripped back and minimalistic, leaving Prohibition stunned.
Similarly, Brother Joe was the third act of the evening, and was every inch as captivating as Doozy, with a powerful voice that rang through the arched room beautifully. Brother Joe is the epitome of easy listening, and he somehow manages to make the most difficult notes sound effortless, which is a rare and amazing feat.
Finally, Aaron Wiggett, an instrumental performer with percussive guitar skills bordering on genius, closed the night. Aaron took the place of another artist who could not make the evening, so was an added bonus for the Music and Moonshine audience. Aaron’s set, as always, was genuinely mesmerising, and though it wasn’t part of the original plan, it would have been extremely hard to top.
Words by Ellen Barr
RIDE MUSIC 