By Lydia O’Dowd
Photography: Bob Hadfield
Dan Owen embarked on his UK tour this October and recently played in Manchester at ‘The Night and Day Cafe’. Originally from Shrewsbury, at the mere age of 24, Dan has already had a sold out tour over most of Europe and supported the likes of Birdie and Bryan Adams. He recently released his new single, ‘Hideaway’, which is being featured on the new Boots advert.
Owen played without his stomp box and was joined by a pianist for the majority of the set. The piano added beautiful compositions that lifted the acoustic instrumentals and stayed true to his bluesy roots. The set embarked the audience on a journey of various emotions and excitement. They clapped along to ‘Icarus’, a powerful and uplifting song, followed by the soft love ballad ‘Moonlight’.
Midway through, the tempo upped again with the strong 60’s blues inspired ‘When I Die’. ‘Made To Love You’ showed off Owen’s melody and vocal techniques, such versatility revealed a vulnerable side to his gravelly and powerful voice. Where his voice sounds beyond its years, his image is reminiscent of a young Bruce Springsteen.
The set finished with encore favourite ‘Little Red Rooster” by Willie Dixon. A definite return to his routes, he played the bluesy classic with only his guitar and harmonica.
His new set is fresh and offers something different in his usual work. It kept a balance between his old and new material. Although his pianist added a praiseworthy element to Dan’s performance, it was nice to experience Dan as a solo artist as well during the encore. For only £9 a ticket Dan Owen remains a must-see for fans of blues and ballads.
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