Gig - Simon Wood (continued)

The names of his songs reflect their content. ‘White Knuckle Ride’, ‘Interesting Features’, ‘Show me Heaven’. I suggest that it must be a lonely business, playing in front of crowds who don’t know you, fighting for their support. “I’ve played in bands before, but I’m happy on my own,” he says. “I try to get through to the audience with my music, rather than by patter between songs. Like many singers, I expect the audience not to like my stuff, and I feel that the gig is a challenge to get them to like it. I don’t expect them to be on my side; I want to win them over. I want to throw the song at their indifference. I find this helpful. It makes me louder and it makes me stronger. I like being confrontational with my music, this gives me a defiant and edgy quality. I don’t want it to be too cosy.”
We pause. “Why aren’t you asking me any soul-searching stuff about pushing 40 and not having made it big?” he asks, so I throw the question back at him. Woody has had so much positive feedback from wherever he’s played, from London to Berlin via the Czech Republic, he feels that with more publicity he would have been more recognised. He hates the fact he has to self publicise. “I’m no good at it,” he says. But he’s determined. “I’ve nearly finished putting my fourth album together. I’m really going to push that. It’s a work in progress, and I’m proud of it. I love what I do, I’ll never give up.” In the meantime he has to catch the 8.06 back to Newhaven. I walk him to the platform, and wish him luck. AL