Hangin’ in the Wardrobe with Grant

Grant Nicholas is probably best known as lead singer with Feeder and before you start stressing, no, they haven’t split, two decades on they’re still doing their thing.  However, it just so happens that Grant has also got another thing going and he was doing that in Leeds last week, specifically at the Wardrobe.  As the name suggests it’s a bijoux venue and this was one of a string of intimate gigs Grant is doing under his own name.  Nothing ventured nothing gained and having got there very early I managed to find my way into a backstage pre-gig shoot with the man himself.  As it turns out he’s a lovely chap – we have a mutual connection in Manchester which was a good ice breaker and between us we decided that the green walls worked well with his denim.  Grant suggested the sofa which also worked and so we tried a few different things until we’d got the shots in the can.

Meanwhile, out front an appreciative crowd was gathering and the gig got going in a similarly relaxed manner with Grant chatting through the whole thing.  “Thanks very much!”, was the genuine response to “We love you Grant” and then he was asking a chap how long his beard took to grow. alleging that he sticks his on before the show.  As for the music well aside from the inevitable vocal similarity with Feeder the style is definitely his own and I really liked it – great songs, nice acoustic sound with simple backing.  So look out for Mr Nicholas at a venue near you and failing that give the newly released album ‘Yorktown Heights’ a go.  I was so impressed I bought the t-shirt…and that doesn’t happen very often!