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José González...
review
Humbly smiling as a neon bouncy ball brushes past his guitar, José González acknowledges that for the rest of his career, he will be known as The Guy That Sings That Bouncy Ball Song.
Twenty-seven year old José, hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, is fast becoming one of Scandinavia’s top artists, fusing his soft, melodic love songs (sung in flawless English) with perfectly strummed guitar chords that evoke connections with Nick Drake and Elliot Smith. Shooting to fame with his cover of The Knife’s track entitled Heartbeats  (used for the Sony Bravia advert), González has used this sudden rocket to fame to fuel the promotion of his impeccable acoustic album, Veneer , that will have the hardest of hearts sufficiently dreamy with each listen.
With tracks such as Remain echoing three lines in total, González’s soft voice barely susurrates whispers that resonate like vespers within the walls of an eerie church. With such a relaxed ambience, it was like watching a private moment shared between lovers as González pours out the softest of words whilst silence washes over the crowd. Even mistakes are met with humble, shy giggles that are quickly reciprocated by the giddy, loved-up audience.
With a cover of Massive Attack’s Teardrop , it is clear that González has the talent and versatility to cover a range of songs – the highlight of the evening being his cover of Kylie Minogue’s Put Your Hand On Your Heart . Completely transforming the track from the commercialized, chart-topping pop hit, González managed to convey the lyrics in a completely different context, enveloping the severity of the lyrics (“You know it's one thing to say you love me / But another to mean it from the heart / And if you don't intend to see it through / Why did we ever start?”) and delivering them with the heartbreak that the lyrics truly deserve.
With muffled words of thanks in between tracks, José González is the epitome of the humbled artist, coyly closing his eyes during each performance and perhaps imagining performing in the presence of friends. After his performance, shyly standing greeting fans without any hesitation, he smiles meekly... a smile that melted the hearts of the hundreds standing before him.
José González’ album entitled Veneer is out now.
about Concorde 2
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Okay, so you may have to walk a bit to reach it... but that just makes it that little bit more exclusive doesn't it! Located along Madeira Drive, the Concorde 2 is a sizeable venue with a huge variety of clubnights and bands on each month. Some top names, some great festivals, World Music... you name it. If you can't find something to pique your interest then you might as well pack your bags and head for Eastbourne... The next Concorde 2 date for your diary:
Sunday, 23rd November
Ladytron + Support
Click for more info and complete listings for Concorde 2 
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Sea Spray
