Gig - Peter Bruntnell

Choosing Peter Bruntnell to play the Anchor tonight is, promoter Mike Lance admits, a bit of a present to himself. “I've booked him in for my birthday”, he says, “and a room at the pub, so I’m going to sit late at the bar with Pete and have a beer.” “Of course”, he adds, “everyone’s more than welcome to come along too.” So far, so personally recommended. But then, shuffling through some recent press quotes, it seems Lance is far from alone in his admiration of the Neil Young-esque alt-country artist. The Independent selected his last album as Pick of the Week, Metro called his recent release ‘a quiet masterclass in emotional subtlety’ and Rolling Stone described him ‘one of England’s best kept musical secrets’. Although many people may not have heard of him. I ask Mike why. “Well music often works in a sort of compartmentalised way. In certain places Bruntnell would pack out large venues, in other areas he just wouldn’t be on the radar.” Bruntnell has had plenty of experience live, though. He spent ten years on the dole, gigging and writing songs to supplement his income. It was only later when his girlfriend became pregnant that he decided to take up an offer from a record producer friend to do some recording. Even then he made few concessions to commercialism. “He got told that he wouldn’t get anywhere with that name”, says Mike, “But he just said this is who I am. He’s a real unassuming scruffy bloke offstage, but when he gets on the stage he carries this easy aura with him. He’s a real natural star”. ER