A Beautiful Feeling: Brian Finch

Slouched on a barstool on a smoky stage, a steelstringed guitar draped across his knees and a faded black Trilby pulled low over his face, Brain Finch looked as rock and roll as you can possibly get in Lüderitz.

The white haired Durbanborn musician has been smooching audiences with his gravely voice and feel good country-rock songs for decades and has an impressive ten albums under his belt. Judging from the crowds reaction to him at the three day gig held in Barrels Bar, as part of KratzPlatz’s annual Diamond Run biker rally, it seems clear that Finch’s artfully strained vocals and cowboys persona are still a firm favourite.

Finch was preceded by an all male, three-piece rock band from Windhoek called ‘Street Talk’; a slightly eclectic looking group boasting a floppy haired teen singer, an aging rocker bassist and a curly-topped drummer who bore no small resemblance to a hobbit. Despite appearances the band played a roaring set of classic and modern rock songs that had the Barrels crowd up on its feet and showing an array of dance moves that would put my dad to shame.

However, as Brian Finch stepped onto the stage a hush fell over the crowd as they watched the black-suited, converse-clad star tune his guitar and cast a weathered and wrinkled smile over his audience. With the opening chords of his first song, A a crowd favourite called ‘Beautiful Feeling’, the spell was broken and the small bar sprang to life, dancing and singing along until the wee small hours of the morning. Were we lonely tonight? No we weren’t!