As both a long-time admirer of Dan Whitlam’s work and a young writer myself, I was thrilled
to have the privilege of attending the opening night of his UK tour at Bristol’s Trinity
Centre. Blending spoken word poetry with soulful beats, the south London poet/rapper
tells stories that begin conversations about love, loss, and the search for self-understanding in a complicated time of the modern day.
Dan’s honest depiction of difficult topics often recalls the mind to the likes of Loyle Carner. This comparison always makes me have high expectations of his work, which I am excited to explore upon the news of his upcoming album early next year. I found myself constantly having goosebumps throughout the show; it was a truly unique experience for me.
The tone of the show was set early. The stage was decorated with plants, candles and a tasteful Persian rug, almost making the environment feel homely. In addition to this, I quickly
learned that Whitlam’s words touch the hearts and minds of many more than I realised, as the audience was made up of a variety of ages.
The show opened with ‘Blue’, a lighthearted track filled with images of love and appreciation for those who make bad days into something bearable. Lyrics such as “I′ll take you at your best. Hope you take me at my worst” display the level of emotion he feels towards this person, as well as ideas of self-doubt towards his worth as a partner or the quality of their partnership. Having not been to a spoken word concert before, I was really enjoying the care taken by the people in attendance to be almost silent during the songs. This meant that the words spoken could hit with full intent, as well as their intonation and inflexion, similar to a theatrical performance. A lovely setting for the show to come.
A personal favourite followed. ‘Butterfly’ opens with a saxophone and a jazzy feel. It speaks of the connection we feel to people and/or a time in life, maybe when things were different, being appreciative and retrospective of the past. The song ends with the quote: “Enjoy the butterflies, for one day they’ll give you their wings and leave”. It’s a favourite line of mine, as it perfectly sums up the message he feels strongly about.
The concert switched between a casual conversational feel and a serious discussion. Whitlam explained his close relationship with his family, specifically his grandmother, whom he shared a lovely story about, followed by a one-liner to lighten the mood. The story explained the meeting of his grandparents, which he beautifully moved into a story of his own about meeting a woman, with wording which seemingly resonated with everyone.
These themes continued throughout the poems, with ‘19‘ describing a feeling many can relate to. Preluded by the poet, he talks about the feeling that you’re running out of time. This being common among young adults today, feeling underachieved is a consistent theme which goes unnoticed. His music brings a feeling of longing for something more. Whether that be in his personal relationships or a feeling of self-achievement.
This is also shown in another favourite of mine, ‘Quick Intimacy‘, where Whitlam proclaims he wants someone to lean into him for a lifetime. A simple yet compelling concept, which is worded in a way which digs deep for listeners. Each poem was briefly described by Dan to give background and even a trigger warning where necessary. ‘London stabbings’ tells the tale of two opposing perspectives of a traumatic event, which was a nod to a lovely campaign where victims could meet their attackers.
To add to the clear themes Whitlam displays, he invited his father on stage and, to the surprise of the audience, played a fantastic rendition of Billy Joel’s ‘Vienna’ where Dan stepped aside and allowed his father to steal the show. A truly heartfelt moment for all. Speaking to Dan after the show, we discussed the journey he has been on and some previous conversations we’d had. He’s genuinely a great guy who provided a top-quality first spoken word concert experience for me. He ended the set with a song which shall feature on his upcoming album ‘Strangers (again)’, which seems to continue the quality of his current material. Even if you aren’t a poetry fan, get yourself prepared for his next eventual tour and get on the Dan Whitlam train before everyone else has already!
A truly powerful performance from an upcoming star in the industry; A solid show
at Bristol’s Trinity Centre.
