David McAlmont: the yearning

Gordo and Sleuth returned from a lunch at Marcus Wareing’s restaurant in the Berkeley Hotel a couple of weeks ago and stepped into a musical wonderland.

Talking to Sleuth after the show McAlmont said, “It’s all about reaching into the heart of the music, getting to its core.”

This wonderland was in a flat above Sainsburys, opposite Cornerhouse, on Whitworth Street West.

David McAlmont was performing a gig in an apartment for an audience of special invitees.

Since Gordo and Sleuth had drunk most of the wine in Wareing’s place they failed to write down the full set list but both can recall the beauty of McAlmont’s voice backed up by the graceful keyboard finger dancing of Guy Davies.

McAlmont was familiar to Sleuth who had appreciated a McAlmont and Bernard Butler collaboration back in the nineties. More recently Sleuth’s loved the stunning album produced by his work with Michael Nyman.

In the gig in the flat McAlmont was on top form his soaring voice and effortless tonality holding everyone’s attention minutely. The key to the man is not only the pitch perfect delivery and the emotion in the interpretations but that special extra ingredient, a sort of yearning contained within the vocal expression.

Talking to Sleuth after the show McAlmont said, “It’s all about reaching into the heart of the music, getting to its core.”

The reason McAlmont was in Manchester was as a pre-national tour warm-up to mark the release of his Live Album. He has lots of friends in the city and this seemed like a great way to introduce himself to new friends as well.

McAlmont’s back on Thursday 17 February at the Lowry. He’ll be performing hits from the McAlmont and Butler collaboration including ‘You do’ and ‘Yes’ as well as ‘Diamonds are Forever’, ‘Lose My Faith’ and ‘Isn’t it a Pity’.

You can also catch him at the O2Academy in Liverpool on 19 February and 3 April.

To book Lowry tickets visit: www.thelowry.com

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