Malcolm McLaren, who managed The Sex Pistols, had a mantra: the audience is more important than the performing act. Was McLaren right? It’s a point worthy of debate.

By Miles Salter

Photos by Stuart Duthie

Certainly, an act who ignores the audience is in danger of seeming egotistical and aloof. Neve Cariad was prepared to run the gauntlet when she opened for Tyler Ramsey at The Bluebird Bakery in York. Cariad did not utter one word to the sixty or so people in the room, to the extent that, by the end of her set, audience members were wondering to whom they had just been listening.

Though Cariad may not have offered much in the way of audience participation, she can certainly sing and has some potent songwriting skills. Her songs dwell in minor keys and featured lyrics of loss and the great unremitting awfulness of life.

Artists have a responsibility to reflect life in its varying colours, and whilst melancholy and sadness is certainly a part of life’s tapestry, it is not the whole. Singer-songwriters who ignore humour, or energy, or some sense of gratitude (or just plain fun) offer a vision of life that lacks sparkle.

Leonard Cohen was labelled as gloomy, but his songs and performances were often laced with humour. Cariad has great promise but could inject a little more warmth into her set. 

Fortunately, the humane and good-natured Tyler Ramsey was on hand to deliver something much more balanced. He talked to the audience straight away, and (phew) the chill in the room changed to something warmer.

Ramsey has spent much of the last three months on tour across America, Europe and the UK. His voice showed a little sign of wear – he asked for a glass of wine at one point to help, but his presence is one of calm stoicism.

His finger picking guitar style owes much to Americana’s country and blues tradition. He loves Neil Young and gave us a cover of Down By The River during the set. Two songs stood out. Flying Things, inspired by bedtime stories with his daughter, is just gorgeous.  Your Whole Life considers the importance of living well. ‘Cut all of your darkest ties; you can learn to do right,’ Ramsey sings. It’s hugely affecting.

The whole of Ramsey’s set was a hymn to simplicity. He talked of being temporarily in the big time with Band Of Horses but feeling more at home playing smaller gigs and of watching a community pull together after hurricane Helene in 2024 caused flooding and devastation. Trees were uprooted; there were fatalities.

The friend I went with said that Ramsey represents the best of America. It’s hard to disagree with that. This was a well-attended gig for the Bluebird Bakery. An appreciative audience tuned into one guy, one guitar, and a few heartfelt stories of life lived in the present tense. Let’s hope he comes back.

Neve Cariad and Tyler Ramsey played at The Bluebird Bakery, York on Saturday 4 April 2026.