Kiefer Sutherland at Stimmen-Festival - 28 July 2019

We may know his gravelly voice from TV series like "24" or "Designated Survivor", but it turns out that Kiefer Sutherland has a great set of pipes for music, too. This is a bit of a relief. Actors becoming rock stars is a career move that can go horribly wrong, as Sutherland himself is well aware. It took producer Jude Cole a long time and many drinks to persuade him to give it a try.

Sutherland released his first album "Down In A Hole" in 2016 and follow-up "Reckless & Me" in April 2019. He serves up no-nonsense country-rock that perfectly suits his rough-textured voice.

In an interview, Sutherland said: "I asked myself: what is the thing that I love about acting and music? What is the common denominator? For me it's storytelling, and music is a very different way of doing it." It's this storytelling talent that sets him apart.

At the Stimmen-Festival, Sutherland endears himself to the audience with self-deprecating, memorable anecdotes about being driven around without seatbelts in his father Donald's red Ferrari when he was a child, doing the rodeo circuit in the 90s, and realising that eighty percent of his songs are about whiskey.

Flanked by an excellent band, Sutherland tears through rollicking honky-tonk ("This Is How It’s Done"), waltzes ("Not Enough Whiskey") and songs about familial bonds ("Song for a Daughter" and "Saskatchewan"). It's a very enjoyable concert with a star who's clearly having the time of his life.

Support comes from Wayne Graham, two brothers from the mountains of Kentucky who play mellow country music, easing the audience into the evening.

- Anna Wirz

Photos of Kiefer Sutherland are here.

Photos of support Wayne Graham are here.