Tekst: Helene Ouwerkerk
He is absolutely no newcomer to the pop circuit, yet McGoozer (artist name of Paul McGee) has now released his debut album that he presents live in support of Tony Hadley (ex-Spandau Ballet) during his 2018 ‘Tonight Belongs to Us’ European tour.
It is clear that McGoozer is an experienced artist when he enters the stage of Cultuurpodium De Boerderij. Wearing a hat (his trademark) and guitar, he kindly addresses the audience as they first meet McGoozer and his original music. And what kind of music it is! The songs from his first album, “Songs From The Mirror”, are all great songs. Pearls that are a pleasure to listen to on the CD and live. The public in De Boerderij falls head over heels for the captivating Scot. During his performance, McGoozer stands out for his fine timbre. The songs fit him like a glove and are played in a beautiful way by McGoozer, who accompanies himself on guitar.
His musicality is great. This is apparent, for example, from the version of the A-Ha number, “Take On Me” that McGoozer has made. No average cover, but a unique version that is sung very slowly and perfectly by him.
McGoozer stands out for his enormous vocal range. As he goes up, every tone is flawless. A good example of this is during the beautiful song, “Stand Up”. McGoozer shows a wide variety of music in his performance. The album’s title song, “Song from The Mirror”, for example, is a nice and enjoyable song with definite hit potential. “Lullaby” is again a beautifully sensitive song that you play when you listen to music with your lover by candlelight. But when performing a large theater hall, McGoozer is at his best.
“Live performance is the best thing there is,” says McGoozer. “I was part of Mike & the Mechanics and I have seen a lot of the world, the reactions of the audience are the best you can get as an artist. If I can put a smile on someone’s face, then I have succeeded.” After years of working as a studio musician, it is now time to show the real McGoozer to the world. “I’ve been lucky enough to have worked in the music industry and been able to pay my bills, and now I want that with my own music.” Each track from “Songs From The Mirror” was written or co-written by me and tell my story. Some songs go back to a certain period in my life, I really want to share my story with the audience,” says McGoozer.
McGoozer is currently touring with Tony Hadley through Europe and is definitely an artist to keep an eye on.
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FOTO: © Eus Dreissen
