What a voice! This gig happened on the 29th of April.
We were supposed to be at Scala a couple of weeks back to see, and interview, Brigitte Calls Me Baby – but illness had other ideas. It was a shame, as tonight is a reminder of what a gem of a venue it is. Plenty of levels to get a good view from, bigger than a pub but not too big to feel anything but that it is an ‘intimate’ show. It has character and history and is right by Kings Cross so makes for an easy getaway. We also bring it up because it was watching Brigitte Calls Me Baby that we last saw a singer, Wes Leavins, whose talent genuinely knocked us flat.
Truman Sinclair
Truman is an earnest and honest talent. Whilst Tyler has been travelling by “van or bus,” as Truman puts it, he has been taking himself, his guitar and his harmonica by train. He describes himself as originally from Chicago, but moved school and didn’t make any friends so played guitar relentlessly instead.
He has an easy going charm and a nice turn of phrase. He claims to have been playing for a long time despite looking very young. It is a quality line in alt-country. He says he has never played to audiences this big before, which seems surprising when he has almost as many monthly listeners as Tyler Ballgame on most platforms.
Tyler Ballgame
The debut album, released back in January was not perfect, but it was an incredible calling card for an immense new talent. There is a definite buzz of anticipation in the air tonight. As Tyler saunters out he soaks up all of the applause from the audience. His face strongly conveys whatever emotion is on his mind. Tyler Ballgame is definitely a performance character, a slightly larger than life version of who Tyler Perry actually is. So the facial expressions are exaggerated, some accentuated movements of the arms take place. He seeks out eye contact with the audience. It is the stage armour that has helped him connect and develop from someone who was an initially very shy performer. His retro sounds are hugely out of kilter with the majority of the current music scene, though like Jalen Ngonda and Celeste he makes them living, breathing works of beauty than pastiches.
He starts off with a 2024 single, ‘Help Me Out.’ Those vocal tones, somewhere between Roy Orbison and Elvis in full crooner mode, are straight to the forefront. Rather than stacking up the big hits at the end he then goes straight into ‘For The First Time, Again,’ one of the big set-pieces from the album. The first of tonight’s opportunities to really cut loose with those deep, rich tones.
Amidst the quality tracks of his own we get some interesting covers. The first of these is a version of Can’s ‘Vitamin C’ from all the way back in 1972. There are several unreleased tracks that show he is continuing to develop and learn. More confident creations than some on the debut album. Ones that show he really understands himself as an artist.
One of the highlights of the evening is a moment that could have been absolute cringe in other circumstances. The thought of most artists bringing out their mother to do a duet would be horrifying. Here it not only makes sense, but is a triumph. His mother has been a constant source of support to Tyler, she is also a singing coach who recognised his genuine abilities from a young age. They perform his 2024 single ‘Radio’ as a beautiful duet.
As we reach the conclusion both ‘Got A New Car’ and the inevitable ‘I Believe in Love’ are stunning. ‘I Believe in Love’ is one of those songs that is absolutely perfect. Another half a dozen like this and he will be ready to fill stadiums. ‘Goodbye My Love’ is a slower and more contemplative end note. He is enjoying the crowd reaction so much there is time for one more song, not on the setlist. He goes into Harry Nilsson’s ‘Without You.’ Again, this could have been utter cringe, instead it is a triumph, the whole audience backing him up in the huge, soaring choruses. What a talent. What a voice! It occurred to me during this that Tyler Ballgame is this generation’s Meatloaf. Slightly less rock focused, but a larger than life character with a stunning voice. Let us hope we get to catch him again soon.
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