Dan Sartain

He’s a jawbone to admire, a slender frame that many a mid-twenties man would kill for; his songs bleed upwards from his heart while his fingers bleed in accordance with gravity from all the pluck-strum-jerk actions at his wrist. Dan Sartain ain’t your average rocker rolling with the trends of the money-making. Dan Sartain ain’t your average anything.

Sartain’s records to date have been rooted in romance; his heartache and break has informed some fine songs, songs that compositionally and stylistically walk a tight rope over from a punk-rock precipice to something truly throwback. Tonight he’s not sporting the quiff of his tour poster, but Sartain’s an old soul in the shoes of a youthful foot soldier trying his best to walk the way the world’s not rotating. If time travel were possible, you expect he’d take a one-way to a simpler era; at least back to a time when his head wasn’t so controlled by the spur-of-the-moment lurches of the heart.

Tonight Sartain’s girl dun bad, girl dun good emoting is backed ably by Plate Six, who also support with a set of their own material. It’s punchy post-hardcore, gruff like Hot Water Music but with hooks enough to appeal to the more pop-minded of attendees. While interest amongst the assembled is limited currently, come the release of their Battle Hymns For A New Republic album in April it’s probable that those in early tonight will be telling their mates that they were there before the trio made rock press headlines.

But Sartain, quite predictably, is the star of this show; the charisma he exudes is quite unlike that of many a solo performer, and his run through of selections old and future – new songs are tossed into a set list featuring fan favourites ‘Drama Queens’ and ‘Hangers On’, as well as recent single ‘The Flight Of The Finch’ (review) – presses all the right buttons. The age range of those watching him intently varies from late teens to something that’d be inappropriate to publish, and this is absolutely indicative of the appeal of Sartain’s music: such is its timelessness that it can’t fail to strike a chord with men and women of all ages.

Providing they’ve felt the touch of love and had it sting like a Chinese Burn delivered by a pro wrestler, that is.

Photograph taken from Dan Sartain's MySpace