When Dom Martin was young, he was given a tape of Rory Gallagher, which he played to the point of disintegration. That tape, lovingly patched together over the years and kept now only as a memento, set the young Dom on a path that, for all the twists and turns it would take, bought us to this place.
The place in question is an artist (hopefully) on the edge of being discovered by a much larger audience. For, make no mistake about it, Dom is quite one of the most captivating players you can hope to see. Possessed of a voice that is part Gallagher, part Cornell; no small amount of talent on the guitar and an easy charm that ensures that the between-song stories fly by, he grabs the attention and holds it over the course of a two-part set packed with sparkling originals and deftly-delivered covers.
A digression.
Leamington Spa is a lovely town, packed with quirky coffee shops and blessed with a couple of amazing venues: the wonderful Assembly (happily reopened) and, the scene of tonight’s event, Temperance. A charmingly quirky coffee shop by day (complete with great coffee and incredibly tempting cakes), Temperance offers a gorgeous cellar venue reminiscent of the subterranean jazz bars found in Prague and Krakow. Decked out like a miniature theatre, and closely packed with a respectfully enthusiastic audience, it is an absolute gem, and the great sound is only the icing on the cake. At a time when pubs and venues are struggling, to find such a wonderful, community-minded venue nestled away in Leamington is an absolute delight, and I hope to return there soon.
Back to the plot…
Dom, we are informed, is a naughty boy and rarely sticks to the helpfully printed setlist we’ve managed to obtain. Thus, the set is packed full of surprises and, to anyone distracted by my frantic tapping at points when Dom diverged, I apologise, but trying to keep a setlist in my addled brain is rather akin to trying to keep a cup of coffee in a colander.
Anyhow, Dom opens the set with a pair of Rory Gallagher songs, played with astonishing skill on an endlessly resprayed resonator guitar. He captures us first with tales both of Rory and of the resonator, and then he’s away with Could’ve Had Religion, complete with stunning slide work. He follows it immediately with an equally stunning Railway And Gun, his fingers flashing as his slightly worn voice rings out. It’s a wonderful start to a concert that has an easy, intimate charm that sweeps away the outside world for a few glorious hours. Next, there’s Easy Way Out, the gorgeous opening track to Spain To Italy (recommended to us at the merch stand and blazing out of the stereo right now), which sits awash in a sea of reverb, sounding for all the world like Tom Waits as covered by Sea Change-era Beck. Then, it’s straight into Echoes, a ballad with a Patlansky vibe, before Dom abandons the setlist for Mercy and another Rory cover in the form of Should’ve Learned. It’s hard to believe but, with that, it’s already time for a break, and your humble correspondent is already calculating how much it’s going to cost to follow Dom around the country.
Cake or beer?
A brief break allows a chance to check out Temperance a little more. With a decent selection of ales, still more cakes, and an atmosphere that speaks volumes as to the charming character of its owners, it really is a special place and while it’s easy to imagine Dom soon filling bigger stages, his easy nature just seems to fit into these surroundings.
Deer Hunting with Dom
Opening the second half, Dom really knocks it out of the park with a remarkable cover of Cavatina (from the Deer Hunter) interpolated with Lead Belly’s Out On The Western Plain. It takes no small amount of confidence to cover two such well-known pieces, but with Dom it comes across is a natural extension of his personality, and his ability to make the pieces his own is arguably the most notable influence he draw from Rory himself. Having told us a little about a somewhat turbulent relationship with his father, Dom riffs on John Martyn, with May You Never and Easy Blues (the latter an absolute highlight of the set), as well as a brilliantly breezy take on Bankers Blues (complete with brief explanatory halt that has the audience in stitches). And then there’s The Rain Came, a track born of genuine heartbreak that belies the cliché in the title, proving to be an absolutely stunning piece that has everyone in the house absolutely riveted. It segues directly into an explosive Dealer, a finale that sees Dom nearly shred his hands as he blazes away on the guitar.
Of course, after such a showing, there was no way that Dom was getting out without an encore (well, not unless he wanted the otherwise genteel crowd to turn nasty), and so we get Hell For You as a bonus that leaves the audience more than satisfied.
What does it mean for you?
This was a very special night. There are times when, as every music writer will tell you, there’s a danger that over-indulgence will lead to ennui; but then you walk into a venue and you find yourself glued to your seat by an electrifying performer who, with seeming ease, breaks down every defence and captures a little piece of you. It’s hard to explain, suffice it to say that certain musicians just have the power to drown out the noise of an increasingly hectic world and, when you find yourself in their presence, the bumps on your skin or the hairs on the back of your neck will surely let you know.
Dom deserves to find his way to bigger venues and larger audiences, and I hope that he does; but for me, he’ll forever be the performer who filled a tiny basement with his personality to deliver a wonderfully intimate gig that will remain long in my memory. It was a truly lovely evening and, if Dom’s passing through a town near you, I cannot recommend that you check out a show enough.
