Jonah Matranga

There are few acts as charming as former Far and Gratitude frontman Jonah Matranga, and the effort he goes to to play Trillians on a tour of considerably larger venues does not go unnoticed by the Newcastle faithful. The venue now holds the distinction of being the one Matranga has played more than any other, and when he notes that it is one of his favourite places to play, one believes him. It helps, though, that every time he plays here, the show is never anything less than superb.

Opening with a cover of Biffy Clyro's 'Mountains', which he dedicated to two local fans who had recently married, Matranga's delivery was touchingly delicate, and added a depth previously missing in the original. The rest of the set is typical Jonah Matranga fare, and this can be the only possible criticism - tonight's set is much the same as the one he played here six months ago, and the time before that, and the time before that. You get the picture anyway. Thankfully, with numbers such as the touching 'Every Mistake', and his trademark track 'Not About A Girl Or A Place'.

Matranga is clearly keen to be seen as one of the nice guys, and one senses that he is genuinely grateful for being given the opportunity to make his living doing what he does. Throughout the show he continuously thanks the fans, making a point of ensuring that the efforts of two particularly ardent supporters of his career do not go unnoticed. It is this effort to recognise his fans that sets Matranga apart from his contemporaries, and which ensures that every time he plays here, it is a success.

The biggest cheer of the night came when Matranga confirmed the rumours that his former band, Far, are indeed writing and recording together again. Many fans have followed Matranga through his various guises, and in these circles, this is somwewhat akin to Pete and Carl getting back in the saddle together. Or, in other words, a very big deal indeed. It remains to be seen whether the band can reach or even surpass previous glories, but what is clear is that his Far-era material is very important to Matranga, and his passion for those particular songs still burns hard.

The show ends with fan favourite 'So Long', which segues in and out of an acoustic rendition of Van Halen's 'Jump', which is in turn interspersed with a rant which convincingly argues that Sammy Hagar's admittance to Halen's line-up was solely to blame for the death of rock 'n' roll. This is Matranga in microcosm - he'll never let a song get in the way of a good story, but if he can combine the two, all the better.

FUTURE GIGS

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