Westside Cowboy - Live at The Exchange, Bristol - 6th February

The most recent winners of Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent content, Manchester’s Westside Cowboy claim to offer a new genre of music (Britanicana, if you will), albeit with tongue firmly placed in cheek.

Tonight, drummer Paddy Murphy’s cry of ‘Westside Cowboyyyyy’ (as per their social media) signals the start of an hour of expertly crafted blend of American roots music and British indie rock that they are proud to convey.

Taking to the stage to Jackie Wilson’s ‘Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher And Higher’, the song choice sets an upbeat tone. Rather than aiming for grandeur, it generates a singalong which helps to frame the set as a communal experience.

Westside Cowboy open with a cover of Santo & Johnny’s ‘Midnight Cowboy’, reworked with a jerkier, more angular edge that strips away most of the track’s sentimentality.

A tension builder, it succeeds in setting the tone before they quickly pivot to their own material.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/westside-cowboy-bristol-gig-review/