Megan Black is a new artist to me. How the hell have I missed her up to now? I was lucky enough to see her perform a stunning, soulful, acoustic set at an Un-Convention Showcase show in Gullivers, Manchester last month. It was clear that she knows how to play to an audience and the way she performed here made it clear to me that she can, and undoubtedly will, be headlining much bigger venues in the near future. Megan has already played a lot of festival stages and has opened for a few big acts including Fantastic Negrito. She owned the stage in Manchester and I saw brief glimpses of both Stevie Nicks, particularly in her stagecraft. Snack called Megan a “Rock Goddess” and I have to agree with that! The night after seeing her I listened to a lot of her songs on streaming services. I thought she was magnificent in an acoustic setting, but listening to her with a full band, the power is immense. I suspect that power is probably seismic in a live setting with a full band. I spoke to her briefly after her set at Gullivers and on top of being a wonderfully gifted musical talent she is also a fabulous human being too. I absolutely need to see her play live with her band now, she is at the top of my live list for 2027.
But the purpose of this piece is to introduce you to her new single “Poison In The Water”. The song slams into your head like a juggernaut. It is a bluesy rock song that is not afraid to layer itself with some gorgeous pop hooks. The deep bass opening line sets the scene for something dark and brooding. This song is instantly anthemic and subliminally insists that you listen to it again and again. It feels like a dig at control, but not just a dig it is as subtle as a sledgehammer, and it smashes hard and takes no prisoners. The song I think is a wake up call to all of us who feel downtrodden and put upon by the powers that be. It also seems to serve as a feminist call to arms. If you had to judge an artist on one song then “Poison In The Water” makes Megan Black the Empress of the whole fucking universe! But don’t simply judge her on this one song listen to her other stuff and go and see her play live if you get the chance. You will become a Megan Black fan, that is no longer a choice, that is an unstoppable fact once you hear her!
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