When I heard Newton Faulkner had been described as the next Jack Johnson, I was expecting to see a tanned, outdoor-surfy type stroll out on stage at the Social but I couldn't have been more wrong. Newton appeared complete with his long dreadlocks, looking like he would be more at home fronting a metal band. SoulfulHowever, it wasn't metal that was resonating around the intimate venue but a very soulful acoustic sound. I could hear why he had been compared to the aforementioned US songster and I also detected a hint of the White Stripes and a little known band called American Football. One of the highlights for me was his cover of the Massive Attack hit Teardrop, which was lapped up by the loyal crowd. CharmingHe managed to command the audience from the moment he stepped up to the mic, charming them with his witty patter and suggested dance routine for his popular title UFO. Although for me, it seemed as though he was trying too hard to be funny at times and I think he should have let the music speak for itself a little more. FunnyBut I was in a minority with that view as the audience were spellbound by his jokes, even when he told them he had written his set-list on the toilet while leaning on a bathroom bin. We travelled through a range of musical genres from soul, blues to funk and I was wowed by his guitar wizardry, even turning it into a percussion instrument for one number. I have to admit, it wasn't entirely my cup of tea but you cannot deny that Mr Faulkner is a master of the guitar and if his MySpace following is anything to go by, I think we'll be hearing a lot more from him in the future. | 
