Syd Arthur and Morgan Delt

6th June 2017
Ramsgate Music Hall

LA-based Morgan Delt and band were pretty great, and inhabiting the same musical universe as Syd Arthur (a rare thing). Morgan didn't say a word, they just kept busy with the prog-psych (psych-prog?) jams.

Syd were on top form. The crystal clear acoustics in the RMH more than made up for the painful situation at Dreamland in Margate some weeks earlier. No acoustic strings from Raven, but I'm getting used to that now. There's no reason he can't reintroduce them at some point in the future, but for now seems to be getting deep into his analog synths and electric tenor guitar. The synths are being masterfully integrated into the Syd Arthur soundworld — I very much approve. And there was a bit of a surprise when someone shouting out for "Dorothy" (the gorgeous encore from On An On) as an encore got their wishes fulfilled in a moment of spontaneity from Liam. They launched into it, jammed it out, Liam's guitar playing reaching an unbelievable level of intensity at one point. They killed it, as is said these days.

Here they are up in Hackney the night before, to give you an (unfortunately distorted) idea of what they're sounding like these days: