When confronted with another actor-turned-singer, a raft of questions immediately come up. Is it purely a plaything for the rich, or an artistic endeavour to be taken seriously on a par with all others? In the same way many scoff at the musical or acting careers of celebrities’ children, when Kiefer Sutherland stopped being Jack Bauer and started being an Americana-cum-country singer in the mid-2010s, similar queries were rightly raised.
Over half a decade since the release of debut album Down In a Hole, and with two more LPs having followed it, questions about Sutherland’s commitment to his new pursuit have surely been answered by now. This also might explain why Shepherds Bush Empire wasn’t close to full on Sunday night for the latest show on his UK tour, with the freshness and surprise of a Hollywood star strumming the guitar having worn off slightly over his six-year career. As he bounded onto the stage like an excitable puppy in west London though, Sutherland’s enthusiasm couldn’t be questioned, and it carried the show that followed.
