If someone told me I’d enjoy listening to an acoustic set of
cover songs that included one by Abba and one from Grease I’d have laughed at
them. Yet Emily Whitfield, tonight’s opening act, does just that and her voice
is so rich, powerful and soulful that I sit 100% focused for the whole of her
30 minute set.
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| Emily Whitfield |
At the beginning of December I watched Mark Whiteside screeching
out lyrics and pounding out beats as the drummer in psycho, prog metal, carnival
rock ‘n’ roll outfit Evil Blizzard. Tonight, in this small, intimate upstairs
room at Hole The Wall, lit mainly by fairly lights draped across the
stage/floor, he is One Sided Horse. An altogether different beast.
One Sided Horse/Whiteside delivers an acoustic set of songs
that are gentle, deep, dark, moving, packed so full of genuine emotion that you
are completely drawn in to his world of yearning, love lost and love hoped for.
Every song comes with a personal story and, if the lyrics aren’t enough, most
are introduced with open, honest words admitting they’re about a special
someone or time. As OSH, Mark Whiteside, backed by Mickey Dale, Richard McNamara,
Steve Firth and Mike Heaton from Embrace, this year released one of 2018’s
defining albums Between Light &
Space. With its keyboards, guitars and drums backing Whiteside's deep,
melodic voice Between Light & Space
quickly draws you in with it’s solemn melodies– as a solo performer with just
an acoustic guitar OSH wraps you up and takes
you to another place where you stand face to face with your own emotions - both
current and those long forgotten.
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| One Sided Horse/Mark Whiteside. |
‘See Your Face’ - “I want to sit with
you, tell stories of our past. And hope that they will come, they won’t be our
last.” “It’s a beautiful day when I see your face”.
“Light my flame, stand well back. I’m a crackerjack. My
heart's ignited by your kiss…” introduces us to ‘Crackerjack’, a song Whiteside tells us people often say is their
favourite OSH song. But depending on your own frame of mind and emotional state
any song tonight could be a favourite. Any could make you smile or well up with
tears. And surely that is the sign of a brilliant songwriter?
Anyone who follows OSH/Mark Whiteside on social media will
know what a prolific writer he is. New songs, parts of songs, ideas for songs
are often uploaded from his flat, partly to gauge follower’s responses but
partly, I suspect, as a way of laying his feelings bare for the world to see.
I love Evil Blizzard – there’s no other live band like them
and their gigs are always special. But I’m looking forward just as much to what Mark Whiteside does next as OSH. Tonight, with just a guitar, he delivered one of my
favourite gigs of 2018.
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| One Sided Horse / Mark Whiteside. |
