Review & Photography by Damien Doherty for MPM
Every so often an act comes along and you know that in years to come you want to be able to say that you were there at the beginning. 2025 brings us just such an act, all hail Noble Jonson.
Who’s Noble Jonson you say? Ask yo Mama!; Although it’s not a secret to those in the know that Noble is the alter-ego of the multi-talented Matt Wilson who many will recognise as the singer and bassist for Brian Downeys Alive and Dangerous, and former singer of Northern Irish band The Dead Presidents. Matt has been forging out his solo career over the last year and tonight is the debut gig, and the launch of his EP “A Modern Man in Search of his Soul”.
We are upstairs in the Ulster Sports Club and the venue is filling rapidly, in fact it’s very nearly a sell out, now how many new acts can say that on their debut. Support for the night is from Belfast pop rock outfit Madrai whose superbly spacey and sonically stirring set is the perfect warm-up to our headliners. Included in tonights set is their live debut of Punch Drunk, and the guys are launching their next single “Turn it Around” on 13th June.
It’s Noble time, and as the eight piece band replete with brass section usher onto the stage. Noble has enlisted the crème de la crème of musicians to accompany him -Thomas Alford on bass, Tom Downey on guitar, Henrique Franco on drums, Matt Evans on keys, Tom Wall on trumpet, Josh Baker on sax, and Nathan Moore on the trombone.
The intro of the effervescent Get Lifted is struck up as the guys tease the approach of the main man from backstage. It’s a perfect feel-good funk rock singalong tune to kick off the set. We are treated to an eleven song set featuring the five fantastic previously procured singles to which it appears all those assembled provide vocal accompaniment, along with several other songs making their debut. The performance is flawless, the writing and composition fresh and funky, and of course Noble charms his adoring audience with wit, charisma, and charm.
Up next for Mr. Jonson is an intimate solo gig on Sunday 1st June at Sturdy Ceramics at Blackstaff Mills, followed by an appearance at Stendhal Festival on Sunday 6th July so don’t say you weren’t told.
