Pete Gardiner has been busy during lockdown; he spent countless Fridays hosting ‘A Song & A Drink with Pete Gardiner’ where he hosted online gigs singing, of course, his brilliant original music and then an increasingly diverse selection of covers. The effect of these gigs was twofold in that it enabled Pete to hone his rapport with his original music and there was a feeling that he went through a process of falling back in love with his entire catalogue. However, the second effect was that it pushed Pete into songs that he maybe would never have considered attempting before these sessions. It was a joy to watch as this incredibly personable performer showcased his own music alongside classics which straddled virtually every genre. It was a joy to watch as his audience started to push for the originals. As approbation for the originals increased, Pete delivered with more and more confidence. This is a singer whose lyricism borders on modern social poetry and comfortably sits with the music of his idols Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen and to see that realisation dawn on the attentive audience was personally just proof of what I have written many times before. Pete Gardiner is a songwriter of such outstanding ability that we should take notice of, support and push as much as we can.
