A warm, interactive evening where Newton Faulkner balanced virtuoso guitar work, theatrical percussion courtesy of his new ‘techno boots’, and easygoing storytelling to turn a university room into a communal singalong and sleepover for adults. The Octopus tour felt lived-in and playful, with moments of quiet lyricism and full-throated crowd participation that made the show feel like a shared memory being made in real time.
The Lemongrove on the Exeter University campus has an intimate, collegiate feel; the advertised 19:30 was door time rather than “curtain up,” which left a little breathing room before the first notes landed.
The friendly tour manager and a press lanyard meant freedom to move, photograph and catch short, human moments with the artists before the lights went down. That access helped the show feel less like an event and more like a gathering.
Marie Naffah opened with a hushed, soulful set anchored by acoustic guitar. Her voice moved from bruised blues to gentle tenderness, with songs rooted in family and solidarity. Most of the material was written acoustically and translated faithfully to the stage, and a final, audience-backed verse turned the room into a soft chorus. The mood was reflective, lyric-driven and emotionally honest.
Nati provided sharp contrast: electric grit, cocky lyrics and a kinetic stage presence that cranked the energy up before the main act. A midway switch to acoustic produced a stripped-down cover of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know,” which silenced the room and showcased her control. She used stomp effects, crowd division games and playful banter to build momentum, and left the stage on a sunlit, defiant note.
Newton’s show is a hybrid of musician, raconteur and ringmaster. The percussive guitar techniques that first brought him attention were in full effect—guitar body taps, finger tapping and a playful approach to rhythm—and he added an extra layer of live-looping theatre with two boots wired as a bass drum and hi-hat. That small visual gag became an instrument and set the tone for an evening that mixed virtuosity with humour.
Between songs Newton threaded anecdotes about songwriting mishaps, slow-cooked collaborations and quirky road characters. A near-tragic lost keyboard track story landed as comedy rather than calamity, and fans got insider colour that made the songs richer. He asked the room to commit to audience participation and the crowd obliged; the atmosphere felt less like spectator sport and more like a communal ritual.
A haunting, otherworldly version of “Teardrop” became a collective hush-then-swell moment. “Don’t Make Me Beg” displayed his willingness to lean into the trickier arrangement fans voted for, “Dream Catch Me” provoked a big singalong and reminded the room why Newton commands radio-friendly affection and grassroots devotion in equal measure. Guesting Marie and Nati on “Honest To God” created a lift in the set’s second half and showcased Newton’s ear for harmony and texture.
Mostly acoustic guitars with an electric for a four-song stretch gave the set dynamic peaks. The percussive boot idea and occasional stomp-box sampling injected a looped, groove-heavy backbone that kept the evening propulsive without overpowering the songs’ lyrical cores.
Newton Faulkner’s Octopus gig at The Lemongrove was a masterclass in warmth, technical skill and audience connection. The evening moved between moments of intimate lyricism and full-bodied participation, carried by Newton’s affable stagecraft and the two razor-sharp supports who read the room perfectly. For fans and newcomers alike it was an evening that felt both polished and playfully improvisational, the kind of show that sends people home smiling and a little breathless.
Setlist
Gone in the Morning
Badman
Better for Me
4 Leaf Clover
Spirit Meets the Bone
Dear Life
I Need Something
Teardrop
Don’t Make Me Beg
Dream Catch Me
She’s Got Time
Smoked Ice Cream
Human Love
You Make it Look so Easy
What Took You So Long
Alright Alright Alright
Write it on Your Skin
Honest to God (with Nati and Marie)
Snakes n Ladders
