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Listen to Stormy Normy, ably supported by Christal and Lenny North (sax)
Why he's my No1 Busker
Stormy Normy:
My choice as the best busker I've ever seen with just a voice, guitar and a song. He is the essence of the post-Beatles style busker, spearheading a new found confidence in British culture. Just one man with a guitar and a story to tell. Whether that story originates from another's (a cover), or whether that story originates from his own experience (his own songs), he delivers with a perfect understanding of the relevance of the content.
His guitar may be quiet and deliberately understated in the background, but you can be sure his guitar style is packed with technique. His voice is absolutely consistent with whatever lyrical message is being laid out - and the tension.... is astonishing. The listener is left hanging on the edge of the seat... awaiting the final phrase of a telling line.
A listener can be left in no doubt that Normy knows exactly the experience lyrics will outlay.
The impression is that he is ultimately doomed, but he will face his doom fighting all the way.
But there is a visual style to Norman that elevates his act even further. He can create ambience or unfold a compelling story.
But, as the modern media increasingly ensures a ready supply of nappies, Stormy Normy lives in a world where nappies are in short supply. It is the world of the busker who "wants an easy road to the end of the rainbow". It is a phrase packed with meaning.
This recording originates from a collection of tracks recorded live by a variety of talented buskers in Antwerp, as a tribute to the much respected, and missed, Ian Milligan. The proceeds from the CD were donated toward cancer charities and a 'word of mouth' claimed it raised a respectable amount.
