SAM BRITTAIN

Some are just lucky enough to be born with envious hair and an incredible power with words. Sam Brittain is one of those people. After spending months touring overseas, his gig at the Wheatsheaf Hotel was the first time I’d see him play in a long time. He didn’t disappoint. Folk singer/songwriter and good friend of Sam’s, BR. Dalton opened the night. With Dalton sharing his unique Irish sound and fairy lights lighting up the small venue, a perfect vibe was set for when Sam came on stage at 8.

The gig was called Sam Brittain & Friends- With a lot of concerts only being about the main artist, Sam rarely had the attention on just him. The entire show he was welcoming special guests and musicians to play with him and share their own music. Joining Sam on stage for most the night was his band and fiddle player, Meg LaGrande. It was hard not to be captivated by Meg’s energy and vibrancy, let alone insane talent.

Sam Brittain & Friends took you on a journey as Sam shared stories of love, loss and his classic way of turning a depressing time into a beautiful song. My night was made complete when Sam sung his original, Slainte, a song about a man he met drinking Guinness in Temple Bar. It is easy to write songs about your own heartbreak and troubles; the true magic comes when you express someone else’s. Slainte being the classic example as the listener follows the story of a stranger and begins to relate to the man after seeing pieces of their own mistakes in his life.

Sam sung his better-known songs off his latest album, Signal Lights, but also shared his older music that the audience may not have known so well. Familiar or not, the listeners appeared to love all songs and hang off every word from the folk singer. Brittain performed Don’t Cry, a song about the first time his heart was broken at the vulnerable age of 13. The lyrics to Don’t Cry were so deep and heartfelt for someone so young at the time, it had me wondering why at my age I hadn’t experienced those yucky true love emotions yet.

The thing is, you never come out of a Sam Brittain concert feeling over the moon happiness or joy (unless all your problems have been drunk away at the bar.) You do however become inspired by his experiences and crave to travel just to do half the amazing things Sam has. And if you don’t want to feature on his next album, keep that disaster breakup to yourself. His music is a reminder that everyone you meet has a story, but when you look at how far Sam has come, his story is the most amazing of them all.

And on the last note, just a big thank you and hug to Sam for all the inspiration and guidance he has given me in the music industry over the last couple years- You’re a legend! xx