Seasick Steve - Manchester Apollo

“It’s a miracle – girls screaming at me,” exclaims Seasick Steve (a.k.a. Steve Wold) in his huskily deep southern American drawl.

The man has got a point: he’s dressed in dungarees (which could comfortably house his three-piece band), sports a trucker-hat, and has grown a beard to rival Santa’s facial spread.

And yet early into tonight’s performance it soon becomes apparent that the man’s rags-to-riches life story has captivated the hearts and minds of an adorning Manchester audience – even before a note has even been struck on his signature three-string guitar.

Yes, his is an engrossing story and one that fuels his songs with cathartic emotional tales of domestic abuse, subsequent homelessness and survival – all told with a wit and irony; but it is not a story that should overshadow his musicianship. Make no mistake – the Apollo tonight witnesses a rough diamond shining as a storyteller and bluesman of the highest order, a craft honed over the best part of three decades’ busking.

Playing in front of a trailer park stage backdrop (complete with fairground lights, miscellaneous lounge chairs and lamps, and a Budweiser-branded light) Seasick, drummer and scratchboard player (one of his five children) seem like they are playing to a roomful of their family as they drive the crowd through a two-hour blues and soul workout that features tracks from both debut album ‘Dog House Music’ and Brits-nominated sophomore set ‘I Started Out With Nothin and i Still Got Most of it Left’.

Welcoming his first ever MySpace friend ‘Mary’ to the stage, the San Francisco-born bluesman reveales a subtleness to his character, serenading her with ‘Walking Man’ – a bluegrass mid-tempo Kenny Rogers-esque love song – which proves to be one of the more intimate moments of the night.

The bearded one could’ve held the audience in the palm of his hand for the entire evening - without even plucking a string – as his stories are events in themselves - all of which are cleverly orchestrated as introductions to songs inspired by the tales. Most notable is ‘Salem Blues’ – a psychedelic blues workout about hitchhiking for 13 hours, only to discover that under the flyover he was hiking with his dog resided a 24-hour diner!

‘Doghouse Boogie’ is the highlight of the night, as Steve uses his three-string guitar (bought for $75 from his chum ‘Sherman’ for an estimated $50 over the value) to get the crowd bouncing. Behind the party atmosphere is a poignant end to the night as the song perhaps tells the audience the life story of Seasick to date; a story that concludes, despite having more than its ups and downs (and abusive stepfathers), he will always have his guitar and the blues. Thankfully, so will we.