LIVE REVIEW: Mark Morton @ Thekla, Bristol

Here’s a hot take for you – acoustic gigs can be a hell of a lot more fun than full band, electric ones. Bristol’s famed boat venue Thekla is abuzz tonight for LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton but in arguably the most wholesome way possible. There’s a calmness that drifts through the venue, no clamour to get to the front of the stage or eagerness for throwing shapes; just two hundred people ready to stand and appreciate three stripped back performances whilst enjoying a pint. Oh, and the headliner just happens to be the lead guitarist for one of the biggest metal bands in the world; standard.

Tonight’s bill is opened by Ben Jordan, a native of Denver in Colorado but who has lived in Bristol, specifically Clifton, for some time. “I stutter and I’m super awkward; go me!” he declares to the amusement of everyone present, something he also plays up to as he says he’s just happy to have a crowd in front of him. He comes across as a very genuine person: whether he’s taking potshots at himself or discussing the concept of canned water, nothing seems forced or staged and this adds to his charm. Even a couple of mistakes are laughed off, but that’s the beauty of acoustic shows – attendees know there’s nowhere to hide if you mess up and are far more forgiving than they would be otherwise. As for his musical talent, it speaks for itself; a soulful voice with a hint of gravel that floats through the venue with ease, songs like Kingdom’s Bore and Hard Times resonating loud and clear. He’s due to release an EP of new material soon and it’s fair to say that there will be a lot of people looking forward to hearing it when it drops after tonight.

Rating: 7/10

For Dave McPherson, this is his bread and butter. The INME frontman has been taking to a stage in some form or other for the best part of 25 years and the charisma he’s built over that period shines through immediately; he tunes up briefly with the opening strains of the theme tune from Star Trek: The Next Generation for a start. For a man sitting down, he emits a lot of energy, bouncing around on his stool and allowing his guitar to move with a freedom not usually seen from artists in this position.

He’s also really excited to be opening this bill, hoping that he can be taught a few riffs whilst on it. This exuberance threatens to derail everything though as, after a joyful rendition of INME song Faster the Chase, where he directly compliments Distorted Sound’s photographer that night on both his camera and beard, he breaks his high E string and has to immediately improvise the rest of his set to compensate for the lack of a fully-functioning guitar. He does so admirably, particularly as the following song entitled A Domestic Accident is a heart-wrenching tune regarding his battles with mental health and captivates the entire room, his fragile voice offering a huge amount of character to the words being sung. Spirits are brought back up with an improvised jam about Brexit and a swift cover of Unchained Melody before Dave leaves having given a raucous, rousing spectacle that has been full of laughs and lunacy.

Rating: 8/10

With candles adoring the back of the stage – willingly gifted by his mother – Mark Morton comes onstage to significant applause and immediately begins with Reveal, one of six songs restructured into acoustic form from his debut solo album Anesthetic that came out last year. Backed by second guitarist Joe Harvett and vocalist Mark Morales, the LAMB OF GOD axeman is clearly enjoying being free from the shackles of his self-described ‘other band’ and playing in a more intimate setting.

Like Ben and Dave before him, he is chatty and laid back, discussing his love for the UK and particularly his two trips to IKEA today, although causing disappointment that his recent conversion to veganism has stopped him from having the meatballs. Morales, who appears to be suffering from a cold, performs brilliantly; his contributions to Anesthetic were Imaginary Days and Blur – both of which are played tonight – but it’s his renditions of material sung by other vocalists that really stand out, particularly Save Defiance which was originally done by Myles Kennedy; rather than imitate the ALTER BRIDGE frontman, Morales makes it his own in line with his vocal range and it goes down a treat.

Alongside the Anesthetic tracks are songs from Mark’s upcoming Ether EP and they stand up just as well; both I Had to Lose and The Fight are well grounded and serene and Love My Enemy is just the same. There’s also a smattering of cover songs, from an uplifting run through of Black by PEARL JAM to a quite excellent version of Down In a Hole by ALICE IN CHAINS. As a finale, a reworking of Anesthetic’s lead single Cross Off goes hand in hand with a tribute to BLACK SABBATH in the form of a slightly improvised Planet Caravan and with Mark promising that new LAMB OF GOD material will be around sooner than we all think, along with the promise that he will stick around to meet punters and sign items, a well-paced night of music draws to a satisfying close. It’s always brilliant to see big names in small places and taking on something that isn’t usually the norm, so for those who have gathered in the hull of this famous vessel, it’s a spectacle that will live long in the memory.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Bristol from Normandy Photography here: