tumblr_maxex5UdaX1qg2pnjo1_500@ Newcastle The Cluny, April 22 2013

Where was everyone?! Last night just over 20 people left the Cluny having witnessed one of the finest acoustic sets they will see for a long time as American punk Vinnie Caruana dived into his career catalogue of tunes, producing a truly epic show.

Armed with an acoustic guitar on a tiny stage, Caruana showed his charm from the off, getting his small army of followers united at the front of the stage, telling stories throughout and even revealing at one point that he is, in fact, circumcised. 

Caruana is one of those truly genuine punks, whose music is not made up purely of speed and aggression, but meaningful lyrics that tell a story of the life he has lead.

Throughout the show he dived into his immense back catalogue, pulling out tunes from his solo work along with I Am The Avalanche and The Movielife, getting a great response from his tiny crowd for each tune.

One of the real beauties of this gig was the lack of numbers as it lead to a real personal, intimate gig that made you feel privileged to be present.

With his constant banter throughout the night, Caruana got the initially quiet crowd going, even asking the audience for requests, something which is rarely seen from an artist of his calibre.

As Caruana called for requests, calls for Movielife favourite Hand Grenade came early and loudly. And the tattooed New Yorker didn’t hesitate to play what the fans wanted to hear – telling the audience to pretend he was pointing a mic at them and sing along. They did just that – screaming every word right back at him.

As he drew the set to a close with Avalanche classic Brooklyn Dodgers, Caruana showed genuine humility – thanking everyone who came and announcing he would stay for a drink with everyone present.

A great way to cap a great night’s entertainment.

Adam Keys