Reg Meuross

Tuesday, July 07, 2009, 10:11
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Reg Meuross George Hotel, South Molton Review: Mark Clough
I HAVE seen Reg Meuross described as a "troubadour", which strictly speaking is someone who writes poems and then sets them to music.
While he may not tally with the strict definition, I can see how Reg Meuross's work as a singer-songwriter could lead one down the troubadour route.
Particularly as what made Reg's recent appearance at the George one of the most enjoyable musical performances I have seen for a long time was its simplicity.
In the function room of the George, Reg sat on an ordinary chair with only an acoustic guitar to accompany him — no amplification of any kind.
Using the power of his voice and his fingers on the guitar, he kept us enthralled for a good two hours, give or take a short interval.
For the performer, there is nothing to hide behind in such a situation, not that Reg needed it. His gentle voice has a way of commanding attention, which is good because his songs deserve to be listened to carefully.
It would be a rash listener who felt that Reg's quite relaxed approach to singing meant that he was being whimsical. There is real passion in his songs, and they touch on thorny issues.
Not least of these was And Jesus Wept about the British soldiers who were executed in the First World War for cowardice. Reg makes no bones about where his sympathies lie — he has helped a campaign to clear the name of one of the soldiers, Pte Harry Farr. In his preamble before the song, Reg made the telling point that not one officer was ever executed for such an "offence".
One of the most engaging parts of his performance is the explanation he gives for what led to each song. So, a visit to a church while Reg was on his travels inspired William Brewster Dreams of America about the original Pilgrim Fathers going to the New World. Both the above songs come from Reg's latest album Dragonfly.
Equally, an earlier album produced Worry No More, a song about the all too familiar concerns of any parent about their child when they are out and about.
Put simply, the best way to fully understand how good this gig was would be to go and see Reg Meuross play live.

- The North Devon Journal

This is a Crackerjack review of Reg Meuross.

After his impromptu guest spot supporting Clive Gregson at this same venue last week, Reg Meuross had once again travelled up from Crewkerne to be the headlining artist.
And how welcoming it was to hear a singer-songwriter who writes honest, folk-style narrative songs about people and real issues, and sings them without feeling the need to incorporate unnecessary frills or sonic gimmicks.
In The Man In Edward Hopper’s Bar, for instance, he told the imagined story of the characters portrayed in Hopper’s well-known painting Night Hawks.
While it was Somerset country folk he gave a voice to in The Drover’s Road.
Lizzie Loved A Highwayman was inspired by the real story of Dick Turpin, who turned out to be far from the heroic figure portrayed in legend.
While The Heart Of Ann Lee explored the sad story of one of the founders of the American Shaker movement.
In the second half he opened with The Redcliffe Boy which was inspired by the death of Bristol poet Thomas Chatterton, updating it to tell the story of a fictional present day young poet.
A real standout was And Jesus Wept, a song that has been receiving a lot of airplay during Armistice month as it deals in an extremely moving way with the story of a shellshocked British soldier who was executed during the First World War for supposed desertion.
It wasn’t all so historical of course. With songs like Jealous, opening song Your Face Again, The Man In The Moon and a rather honest tribute to his father, Good With His Hands, he showed he is just as adept at writing beautiful, poetic and impressionistic songs.
If I Shall Fall From You was particularly lovely.
He closed with The Goodbye Hat which had the audience singing along rather well, before coming back to finish with Looking for Johnny Ray, a song about a girl looking for a man like the 50’s singer who was not afraid to show his emotions. It was a rather poignant end to a quiet treat of a gig.
Keith Clark

- Bristol Evening Post