Review - Leon Stanford - Chepstow Castle
Music in Wales and Emma Harri review Welsh singer-songwriter Leon Stanford as support for Midge Ure at Chepstow Castle.
REVIEWS
Emma Harri
11/1/2023
Review - Leon Stanford - Chepstow Castle
Some might suggest that Leon Stanford is perhaps too young to recognise the huge honour it is to share a stage with Midge Ure at his concert at Chepstow Castle.
Leon himself, however, takes to the stage with supreme confidence and, given that his heroes cover a range of legends from Tom Jones to Bruce Springsteen, it is likely that Leon does indeed realise that he is the warm-up act for the man who helped redefine pop videos and was one of the driving forces behind Live Aid - and that is just two of many credentials that Midge Ure has.
The audience at Chepstow Castle immediately show their appreciation of Leon's mix of raw acoustic pop and soul - a voice and a guitar is all it takes to fill these ancient walls and whilst some of the music is introspective, it is delivered with a confident and charming air with his voice often soaring over the walls and across the Wye Valley.
The airwaves seem full of singer-songwriters but Leon Stanford is a cut above many of the usual suspects which is hopefully a good sign for future success in a business that is always hard work and where the occasional bit of good fortune can make or break you.
By the end of his set he has earned a collection of new fans and admirers. "We saw him in the summer of 2023," they said, "he was good".
