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Richard Dawson: End of the Middle review – a unique snapshot of ordinary British life
From allotment highs to Holly and Phil, the Newcastle singer-songwriter mines life’s daily stresses and joys as only he can
End of the Middle concentrates the Newcastle artist’s prodigious storytelling talents on several generations of one family, and how patterns of behaviour repeat across them. In that this conceit allows Dawson to offer a snapshot of ordinary lives in Britain today, it’s close in spirit to the excellent 2020, his stories of life’s quotidian stresses and joys made all the more real by lyrics that reference Zoom meetings, “ham-fisted PowerPoint presentation” best man speeches and advice on energy bills from “Holly and Phil”. Among the tales of finding catharsis on an allotment ( Polytunnel), a boy getting into fights at school just as his father once did (Bullies) and a grandmother wondering where the time has gone ( Gondola), there are frequent moments of insight, poetry and human warmth.
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