Benjamin Leftwich was at The Joiners in Southampton on the 10th of May and I feel very grateful to have attended the show. The singer is currently on his first tour in around five years and is due to release his second album After The Rain on the 19th of August.
Leftwich seemed to click with the audience instantaneously. From the moment he began to sing, his beautiful voice filled the room and everyone stopped speaking. Benjamin even commented between songs that he “could hear a pin drop” in there. Everyone had their eyes on him, speechless like me I would assume. His voice, so powerful yet so peaceful, made all the revision-induced stress leave my limbs and I felt completely relaxed hearing him sing. I turned to my friend and he felt the same, he said.
He played the songs I knew from Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm, his debut album, but what I don’t believe a lot of people knew was that he had tonsillitis at the time of the concert. In spite of his malady, his voice was one of the most impressive I have ever heard live. His presence on stage and charisma made the whole audience feel the songs he was singing as intensely as him.
At certain moments, and during some songs, he preferred to give a more intimate experience to the audience, choosing to sing off the microphone. The first time he finished a song in this manner, the audience cheered and roared loudly, impressed with his talent. The show lasted about an hour, but everyone wanted more. Benjamin was kind enough to sing not one extra song, but two, and the whole crowd was pleased.
After the show, Benjamin proved to be as devoted to his audience as they are to him. He met everyone who chose to line up and talk to him after the show. The fans showered him with compliments and thanked him for touching their lives with his songs. Some were eager to know when he would play in Southampton again because they wanted to watch the concert all over again, and I shared in the feeling. I would absolutely see him again, it was a pleasure and made for a very fun and memorable evening.
