Come around again...

A very strong and powerful gig from Andrew Cushin.

Image: Andrew Cushin at Corporation - Hayley Grice

Just over a year after playing the cities iconic Leadmill, Geordie singer Andrew Cushin graced Sheffield's Corporation on Halloween, and it was probably one of the most raw performances I've ever witnessed.

Before that though, shout out to the support acts, Sweet Beast and The Lilacs, both fantastic and really got the crowd going.

Image: The Lilacs at Corporation - Hayley Grice

The Lilacs in particular, the four lads from Wigan really worked the crowd and you could see people really enjoying themselves - more on The Lilac's in a couple of weeks - watch this space!

Back to Andrew though, before I begin, he is genuinely one of the loveliest lads I've ever had the pleasure of interviewing, very warm, humble and friendly and with that attitude alone, I know he's going to go far.

Andrew and his band went straight into 'Let Me Give It To You' and you could tell the crowd was instantly hooked.

One thing I loved is that Andrew really made use of the stage, interacting with the fans and using the stage well.

Image: Andrew Cushin at Corporation - Hayley Grice

One thing Andrew was brilliant at as well is talking to the crowd, he told stories of the origins of some of his songs and you could tell from the reaction that it really hit home with some of the fans, he told the crowd he likes to make the shows as personal as possible and it really comes across that way.

He's a really good storyteller, the story about his dad teaching him two chords on the guitar, which inspired him to then go on practising and start writing his own music - which led to his first song, which is also his first single and what his debut album and tour is named after 'Waiting For The Rain' - it gave the song a bigger connection and made us relate to him, even if it was just for a few moments and I think that's a skill that's hard to master.

Another stand out song for me was in homage to Newcastle United, more specifically their manager Eddie Howe, it was a hit, people were singing along and chanting - plus there was even a few Newcastle fans in - was a brave move asking who people support in Sheffield though, considering it's forever a contest of Blades vs Owls! But funny all the same.

The most powerful one for me though was 4.5% - you could see Andrew getting emotional whilst singing it, if you listen to the lyrics you can understand why - but it was one of the stand out moments for me - it was raw and honest and I felt like I connected to him on a more personal level.

Image: Andrew Cushin at Corporation - Hayley Grice

I really feel like 2024 is going to be a massive year for Andrew Cushin, he's already achieved so much, including touring with Louis Tomlinson - gigging worldwide, selling out the o2 City Hall in his hometown of Newcastle and getting that debut album out.

You can listen to the interview with Andrew here:

Interview: Hayley Grice

You can buy his new album and merch here:

Andrew Cushin Online Store

And you can listen to it here:

I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes next for Andrew, we'll watch this space!