(11) Live Reviews November 2005
Quick-links to sub-sections:
Natalie Imbruglia with Robert Post - Manchester Academy 1 - 28th November 2005
Tia McGraff and Tommy Parham - The Riverside, South Shields - 23rd November 2005
Magic Car - Bunker’s Hill, Nottingham - 30th November 2005
Amy Rigby - Riverside Club, Glasgow - 1st December 2005
Jont - Night and Day, Manchester - 26th November 2005
Bob Dylan - Brixton Academy London - 21st November 2005
Jeff Tweedy - Shepherds Bush Empire - 22nd November 2005
Sequioa - South Hill Park, Bracknell - 22nd November 2005
Bob Dylan - Brixton Carling Academy - 21st November 2005
Marah - The Social, Nottingham - 19th November 2005 / 100 Club London - 20th November 2005
Richard Hawley with Sophie Solomon - Manchester Academy 3 - 14th November 2005
South San Gabriel - Rock City, Nottingham - 13th November 2005
Jimmy Webb - The Stables, Milton Keynes - 15th November 2005
Peter Bruntnell - Bedford Star - 11th November 2005
The Constantines - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 10th November 2005
Son Volt – Carling Academy, Islington, London - 9th November 2005
Green Note's Gram Parsons Tribute - Green Note, Camden - 5th November 2005
The White Stripes and The Greenhornes - Alexandra Palace, London - 8th November 2005
Darden Smith and Griffin House - The Maze @ Cabaret, Nottingham - 1st November 2005
| November 2005 Live Reviews include:
Natalie Imbruglia with Robert Post, Tia McGraff and Tommy Parham, Magic Car, Amy Rigby, Jont, Bob Dylan, Jeff Tweedy, Sequioa, Bob Dylan, Marah, Richard Hawley with Sophie Solomon, South San Gabriel, Jimmy Web, Peter Bruntnell, The Constantines, Son Volt, Green Note's Gram Parsons Tribute, The White Stripes and The Greenhornes, Darden Smith and Griffin House.
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Natalie Imbruglia with Robert Post - Manchester Academy 1 - 28th November 2005
Review by Dave Adair
Engaging and high spirited guitar pop is what the jovial Robert Post does and does well. He used tonight as the perfect forum to advertise his flowery musical style. ‘Godmother’ displayed fully his Ray Lamontagne and underpinning of Liam O'Maonlaí singing style. Spicy nostalgia was added with a carefully slotted portion of ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ into one of the offerings towards the end. Robert provided warmth, both between songs and during them, to ensure that everyone was ready for the appearance of the main lady. The band entered first and slowly started the riff to ‘Wishing I Was There’ from her 1998 album ‘Left Of The Middle’, before Natalie Imbruglia sprung onto the stage and poured her heart and soul into the troubled and racing indie/pop pearl; non verbally imploring the crowd to do so also. Effervescently glowing all the way through, Natalie seemed to be relishing the fact that three solid albums have helped her to carve a niche as a serious artist. ‘Satisfied’, did exactly that to the appetite of the crowd for the soulful and slightly gritty pop.
Natalie played a pleasing tribute to an obvious influence; Neil Finn by way of a cover of the Crowded House cruncher ‘Pineapple Head’. A low key acoustic accompaniment to ‘Starting Today’ allowed the antipodean’s vocals to soar out with extra bite. This number from the thoughtful and slower; ‘White Lillies Island’ album highlighted the range of songs in the back catalogue. Energetic versions of ‘Torn’ and ‘Impressed’ made for a lively hands in the air finale, ensuring that three quarters full venue emptied with a spring in their step. <SPAN STYLE="font-family: Arial; color: #666666; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none" onMouseOver = "this.style.color = '#CC9933';" onMouseOut = "this.style.color = '#666666'">http://www.natalieimbruglia.com</span> | | Tia McGraff and Tommy Parham - The Riverside, South Shields - 23rd November 2005
Review by Helen Mitchell
“What The Hell Am I Doin’ Here,” to quote one Tia McGraff’s latest songs, was clearly not a sentiment echoed by those lucky to be in The Riverside, South Shields, on Wednesday 23rd November. Tia and Tommy undertook a very encouraging first UK tour in May/June of this year which captured the attention of, among others, radio 2’s Bob Harris, who called them in during this second tour in November, to play a live session on his Thursday night show. Having brought fellow singer songwriters Gretchen Peters and Beth Nielsen Chapman to national attention, Bob clearly wants the same for Tia. Several venues had booked them in for this tour during their first tour back in May. This November, they returned to play a larger number of venues. In this, the final week of a four week tour, her performance was the best I’d seen.
Canadian, but six year Nashville resident, ex music teacher Tia McGraff, and her songwriting partner and fiancé Tommy Parham, originally from Colorado, treated the audience to an eclectic mix of their own recorded material and previews of recently written material which is under consideration for the new album. The audience, many of whom hadn’t heard Tia’s music prior to this evening clearly knew they were experiencing something special and were soon won over by their outstanding performance. Tommy is a wonderful guitarist and provides excellent harmony for Tia’s vocals. Tia’s personality comes across easily in her anecdotes between songs about their origins and her experiences in the UK. From the touching simplicity of songs such as ‘This is How Waiting Feels’ where the soft sound of Tia’s voice is accompanied by Tommy gently plucking the guitar, to a never before heard cover of fellow Canadian artist Amanda Marshall’s “Believe in You,” Tia showed The Riverside’s audience the true range of her vocal ability.
It is very difficult indeed to select particular songs from Tia’s set, but two which stood out for me were the title track of her new album, “Outside of the Circle,” a song which was inspired by her Canadian outspokenness in a somewhat more reserved Nashville, and “Ought To Be Rock” another of her new offerings, inspired by a chance remarkby a friend. We were also taken down to the Louisiana Bayou with the wonderful “catfish Deacon” and Tia ended the night with a beautiful acoustic version of one of my favourites, “Jewel’s Café,” from her second album of the same title, which describes a bar ‘not dissimilar to this one’ back in Tia’s hometown, ‘where life goes down easy….’ The audience were obviously impressed with Tia, having enjoyed the music, and afterwards wanting to chat, buy CDs and in the case of two new fans, asking to ‘jam’ with them after the show was over. Tia and Tommy were impressed too and are determined to come back to this venue on their next tour, mid 2006, when their new album is released. Book your seats early! | | Magic Car - Bunker’s Hill, Nottingham - 30th November 2005
Review by Jeremy Searle
How not to gig: A Ten Step Program
1. Have an excellent album to promote. Not essential but will increase the disappointment later.
Check. Magic Car’s “Family Matters” is one of the best of the year.
2. Don’t have a soundman or mixing desk.
Check. Magic Car’s is either absent or invisible, and the sound is muffled and often inaudible.
3. Ensure the audience aren’t interested in the music, so chat throughout.
Check. The room is populated with the local equivalent of Shoreditch Twats, who despite all seeming to know the band personally, yack loudly throughout.
4. Make it free or very cheap. Again not essential but encourages the audience to ignore the music – if it’s cheap can’t be that good right?
Check. £2 to get in.
5. Play as little as possible from the new album you are promoting.
Check. The majority of Magic Car’s set is taken from earlier or unreleased material.
6. Avoid playing your strongest material.
Check. Far too much of the set is jaunty, identikit country.
7. Late on in your set, play a strong song perfectly, to give the audience an idea of what they’ve been missing for the last 45 minutes or so.
Check. Hazel Atkinson’s Cowboy Junkies-esque vocals on the wonderful “Small Town Saturday Night” rock you back on your feet and the rest of the band are perfect, as indeed is the performance.
8. Immediately after any hint of triumph, ensure you destroy the mood completely by reverting to lesser material and performance levels.
Check. Said song is followed by a song for which the adjective unremarkable would be over-generous in the extreme.
9. Start late, particularly on a weekday, so even if your audience are interested they will have to leave well before the end.
Check. Magic Car take the stage slightly after 10.30pm, and are still going at 11.30, by which point people are drifting off, as indeed does your reviewer.
10. (For reviewer and audience only). Exit stage left, with huge sense of frustration, disappointment and missed opportunity. Play “Family Matters” very loudly in the car all the way home, and marvel why such a great band can’t play a decent gig in a decent venue like the Maze or the Musician.
Check. | | Amy Rigby - Riverside Club, Glasgow - 1st December 2005
Review by Mike Ritchie
She stood at the bar rummaging in her handbag. She turned, looked up and smiled at the gallant chap a few feet away who returned her smile. He put down his pint then spoke quietly to the barman who immediately went to the assistance of the dark-haired woman. As she passed the pint-drinker she said “thank you” and headed off to the stage - she also said “thanks for coming” to him at the end of her fine show. “Glad you were able to be here,” I said, for it was your reviewer who made sure the Mod Housewife was served. Pop’s sweetest cynic and the ultimate next-door rock girl, Amy Rigby came to a cold and murky place promoting her fifth album, “Little Fugitive” and took refuge before a small but caring crowd. A slightly muddy sound at the outset meant some of her lyrics were sadly obscured but we all know what she was on about – sex, love, life, problems, relationships, problems, men, sex, love. We also know there’s a wicked sense of humour, a killer one-liner lurking somewhere as she’s written some unrivalled gems in a career that’s seen her likened, deservedly, to male counterparts such as John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III.
When she reduced the performance to just her voice and acoustic guitar the room suddenly got a lot warmer as she railed against Needy Men from her latest release, Men In Sandals (thank goodness for winter, she quipped) and the classic and still hilarious Are We Ever Gonna Have Sex Again? Don’t Ever Change, also from the “Til The Wheels Fall Off” release and the plaintiff Why Do I? from the same album, are glorious songs that mix wonderful words picked out with real care with melodies that few singer/songwriters could hope to emulate. When re-joined by the band she had only teamed up with the night before – Tony Thewlis (guitar), Rob Coyne (bass) and Yan Quellan (drums) – the sound did improve although the first-night-of-a-UK-tour gremlins were always hanging around. Nevertheless, she managed to rattle off some stormers including the nostalgic, punky and spiky Dancing With Joey Ramone, the single from “Little Fugitive,” while I Don’t Wanna Talk About Love No More, also from the new album, had a jungle beat pounding behind fired up, clanging guitars that hinted at Lucinda Williams in parts.
Like Rasputin is a bit of a throwaway song to start off “Little Fugitive” and she kicked off with it in this show. But next in, The Trouble With Jeanie showed Rigby’s resigned shrug at having to put up with someone so nice from a new husband’s past (ex wife, that is.) If Jeanie had been a bitch, Rigby would, we suspect, have been a whole lot happier. Instead, the women are, reluctantly in Rigby’s case, in a “club of two, who’ve seen him with his clothes off.” It’s clearly no surprise why countless artistes have formed an orderly queue to record Rigby’s songs and here she reclaimed “Don’t Break The Heart” from Laura Cantrell. It was simply stunning as she flung herself headlong into a ballsy version that had edge and warmth and style – just like rocker mom Amy herself, really. | | Jont - Night and Day, Manchester - 26th November 2005
Review and Feature by Dave Adair
Seedy Philosophising From Jont. Since leaving the UK three years ago to seek fortune and fame, well a new manager anyway, JONT has discovered a philosophical and creative spark from the embers of his poetry and mystically guided enthusiasm for song writing. The happy-go-lucky and intriguing songster seemed like a coiled spring, as he waited in the Night & Day to start the first leg of his UK tour. He spoke with passion and a sense of relief about his recently released; ‘One Long Song’ mini album that is a commanding and elevating tempter;
“It was a long journey trying to find producers and a new manager, since I left my previous management company three years ago and headed to the States. One Long Song is simply a taster for the album. ”
His eyes gleamed at the thought of a full length offering and, it certainly appears from his music that the opportunity to build up emotion and display variety is made for him. What will the album be like though? Will it contain any of the six ‘One Long Song’ tracks on it?
“The album will be different. I may use a few tracks from One Long Song, though. I tend to write sporadically, I have written a lot of songs in the time since I left the U.K. It will be mixed slightly differently to One Long Song.”
Given the jovial and accommodating nature of this hat wearing wordsmith, I decided that it was time to explore his uplifting side conveyed through bracing offering; ‘You Can Be The Stars’. This number is therapeutic to listen to, parading enchanting guitars and softly commanding vocals, with an underpinning of innocence trickling through it. I was keen to learn about the song’s inception and whether or not it was a toughie to perform when he is feeling blue?
“Not really, it is never tough to sing. That song is about my niece, I wrote it for her when she was a baby. I really wanted to address a whole song to her.”
Pride was seeping into the air to mix with the smoke and you could tell it was getting to the heart of JONT. I allowed the proud tunesmith to elaborate on the topic of his current music. What about the striking philosophical powerhouse of ‘We Are The Grapefruit’, a number that is melodically careering, musically speaking, setting things up for life to be dissected with the aid of a fruity analogy?
“I wrote that while I was sitting on a rock outside a neighbour’s house, whilst staying on my manager’s sofa in L.A. I’d met a psychic and she told me that I was going to write six songs in two weeks and I didn’t even have a guitar after the first week. I was on my way to Starbucks to get a coffee and I came up with the line; I’m just a doughnut sitting in Starbucks. Then I said to myself I have to write a song with that as the opening line when I return.”
Here is the scary part; he managed to do exactly what the psychic said and he produced five more songs that week! They do say that you have to be open minded to be an artist, don’t they?
The moral do not believe all you hear and read was emphatically substantiated, as when quizzed about his musical influences the name Coldplay never appeared;
“The Cure, Pulp, The Flaming Lips and Bowie.“
With time creeping upon us like a stranger I could sense some apprehension, so I cut to the chase and enquired about the poetic nature of his work, does he have a background in poetry?
“Yeah, I used to write a lot of poetry and get it published. I also travelled around the U.S.A. interviewing poets like Ginsberg. I became sick of the fact that no-one understood what I was doing, so I concentrated on putting my poetry into songs.”
With his set looming, it was time to finish things off by allowing him to divulge what he would change about modern music;
“I would make all music fruit.”
With a sly chortle and a mischievous grin beaming on his face; JONT proceeded to produce a thoughtful and rising set that commenced with the briskly performed ‘We Are The Grapefruit’. His earnest vocals and commanding electric guitar had the mainly seated gatherers uplifted and contemplative, something that continued with ‘You Can Be The Stars’. A tender new number; ‘Sweetheart’ displayed his thoughtful poetic side for all to see. The Wilco-esque; ‘Caught Out In The Rain’ combined crispness with the mundane to highlight the range of this honest artist. JONT certainly provided enough for thought tonight. | | Bob Dylan - Brixton Academy London - 21st November 2005
Review by Jonathan Aird
It seems to me that a Bob Dylan concert is difficult to prepare for, if you're an average fan. Normally prior to a gig I'd put an album or two onto play, and remind myself of the "greatest hits". This doesn't work so well with Dylan - that's the problem of having 30+ official album releases - it adds up to a lot of songs. And Dylan is as likely to play some obscure song as he is to bash out one of the dozen or so standards he's responsible for. Then there's the more than usual concern - unless you're a fanatic who gets copies of every show (which might make it even worse) - how is Dylan playing at the moment ? The last time I saw his Bobness was one of the 1991 Hammersmith shows - which led me to not bother with his later visits, it was that bad ! Add on to all this that there's been the recent Scorcese documentary acting as a reminder of why Dylan is such an important (even iconic) figure Could Dylan live up to the hype - and would he even bother if he could ? Well, it all added up to high anticipations of a disaster with the hopes for, at the least, a competent gig.
The Brixton Academy is an interesting place for a Dylan gig, it looks the part with an impressive stage surround, and the band filled it with a definite presence. The sloping standing stalls area allows a reasonable view of the stage, but of course unless you arrived at 6:30 on the dot there's not much hope of getting too close. And, just to get it out of the way, the worst part of this gig was the audience ! Dylan rocked. Hard. Ninety five percent of the audience stood like statues. Hey, this is rock 'n' roll, you're allowed to move a little bit ! The couple behind me who had an argument for at least the first 5 songs and managed to spill a drink over me also didn't help - but when they finally left the gig seemed to go up a couple of notches. Odd that.
Dylan and band are not a group of young men out to conquer the world, Dylan has already done that and the band seem happy enough to be extremely good at what they do. Dylan played the whole gig from behind his keyboards, with the occasional stage shuffle and a harmonica solo. Dylan was - thankfully - also in very good voice. From the first song he's singing sweetly (I realise that this is a concept which is alien to some), and for the most part clearly. It was a wonderful thing to see a relaxed and seemingly happy Dylan pushing out a well rehearsed set which had enough nods to the past to keep the casual listener happy, and enough of the new material to keep Dylan interested and which also showcased the continuing high quality of his song writing. And what an amazing set it was :
Maggie's Farm : played loud
The Times They Are A-Changin'
Million Dollar Bash
It's Alright Ma (I'm only Bleeding)
Moonlight
Down Along the Cove (a rocking version rather than the countryesque original)
Boots of Spanish Leather
Cold Irons Bound
Mr Tambourine Man
Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Visions of Johanna
Honest with Me
Waiting for you
Highway 61 Revisited (excellent version with the band really working)
Encore : London Calling
Like A Rolling Stone
All along the watchtower (Hendrix style rather than the acoustic original)
So a mixture of the "tour staples" - recent tracks and a few of the classics, plus some wonderful surprises. A great version of Million Dollar Bash, and one of my favourites of Dylan's more recent material "Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum", although I seem to be in a minority here as it didn't get a huge audience reaction. And of course "London Calling" was a fantastic way to start the encores, a real nice gift to the audience who reacted appropriately ! Which only left one regret : that I only had tickets for one of the five London nights, as Dylan and his band definitely left me wanting more of the same. | | Jeff Tweedy - Shepherds Bush Empire - 22nd November 2005
Review by Patrick Wilkins
Down with Wilco! Back before Wilco became champion alt.rock noiseniks, their no nonsense (relatively) country rock records 'AM' and 'Being There' wooed, wowed and dragged many a convert into the whole alt.country/americana scene. Wilco moved on and we tried to stay with them, but they haven't always made it easy. This was a very rare solo visit by Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy, and without his band, he plays more in the spirit of those early records that we know and love. Not that he played a slew of old material, he only played one song from 'AM' ('Passenger Side'), but with the newer song stripped down to voice and acoustic guitar, you could feel the connection, the progression from then to now, much more than is evident with Wilco, and it made sense, and it was a beautiful thing! Jeff, relaxed and chatty, played an hour and 35, seemed like he wanted to play more, said he wished he was doing more than one show as he had a lot he wanted to play. He thanked the large crowd (the ground floor in particular was rammed), for making the wrong choice in seeing him rather than Dylan, who was playing across town in Brixton, 'At least you can sing!' came the shout from the audience. There was a lot of crowd banter, much of it based around Jeff saying that doing solo shows, up there in a lone spot light, the audience appears as an abyss, an abyss that strangely reflects his psyche, an instance of which Jeff explained - "The other night the abyss said to me, 'How did you get to be so insightful?' This was not a normal thing for the abyss to say, so I said 'Insight is overrated'. 'That's very insightful' replied the abyss!" Then while Jeff was tuning his guitar, for a moment the crowd was quiet, 'Sometimes the abyss is silent' said Jeff. 'Its gone to the toilet' came a voice from the dark. He told how he was fascinated with the Gallagher brothers fighting and swearing at the Q magazine awards (swearing at Chris Martin in particular seemed to amuse him), and how he has been a representative of 'The Dark Lord' when playing Christian colleges in the US.
There was also some local colour added, 'Christ for President' from 'Mermaid Avenue Vol 1' became 'Christ For Prime Minister', and the bands name checked in the song 'Heavy Metal Drummer' were all Brits, the crowd eagerly adding background vocals on that one. His playing was immaculate, and the audience, though progressively more lively, showed amazing and unusual respect. During 'Sunken Treasure', the opening song, when he was plucking the E string with wide pauses between plucks, the place was absolutely silent, not even a cough, and then exploded with applause and cheers as the song closed. The set covered the full scope of his career from Uncle Tupelo material such as 'New Madrid' to 'The Late Greats' from the last Wilco record 'A Ghost Is Born', which closed the show after a long encore. Stand out songs will vary inevitably between witnesses, but 'Someone Else's Song' gave me chills, 'I Am Trying To Break Your Heart' was stunning, 'She's A Jar' was a particular crowd favourite, and 'Reservations’ appeared to have new life breathed into it. Recent Wilco shows have come across as a little cold and impersonal, at times they have seemed like they are trying to alienate, but this was the polar opposite. Though you could argue Wilco is Jeff Tweedy, on this evidence I certainly prefer Jeff Tweedy as Jeff Tweedy! An engaging, memorable and brilliant show. | | Sequioa - South Hill Park, Bracknell - 22nd November 2005
Review by David Bird
Surrey based Sequoia are touring in support of their first CD Ebb & Flow, a good set of songs in an uncluttered production recorded at Park Studios South Hill Park Bracknell. Early in the tour they returned to the South Hill Park Cellar bar on a local band night. They do just over half an hour and 8 or so songs, all from the CD. They kick off with the CD lead track, Laura Valentine, with its driving rhythm, simple yet effective guitar motif and pleasing harmonies. The set comprises the ballads September Song, Close To the Sun and Ebb & Flow with The boy Who Saved the World and the faster songs Smile to Take and Brand New Plan, which closed the set. The tunes are well played and sung, Andy Stedman did mention later that he’d been suffering slight loss of voice but it was only noticeable on one or two occasions, his yearning style suits the songs well. The AUK CD review referenced a similarity to Brinsley Schwarz, and when Sequoia do relaxed mid tempo I can see that, a point of reference for younger viewers might be The Thrills, the current band arguably most similar to that pre punk “pub rock” era.
Don’t cherry pick that as a Sequoia sound like The Thrills statement, it’s just that to me some songs seem to come from similar reference points. It’s often a relaxed, sometimes spare sound where guitars pick more often than riff, dexterous piano and subtle organ. While they’re not trying to threaten The Thorns in the soft rock vocal stakes, the dual and sometimes three way harmonies work well. They’re obviously quite happy with either powered pop or big commercial ballads and do both well. They’re an engaging bunch and banter amongst themselves on the guitarist’s hat, errors and extending a songs finale to make the singer stretch a bit, or singer “what shall we do next” guitarist “something new”. So can they do it live? Well yes, there a few UK bands in the territory at present but the similarities are fleeting Sequoia aren’t big pop like The Storys and are less Americana than say, Pacific Ocean Fire. They really are not that far off being the finished article and if they keep writing and working and get lucky they just might go all the way. If any of the established ballad acts out there cover Ebb & Flow it’ll be hit song ahoy and kerching believe me. That awful Worzel Gummidge joke will have to go though. | | Bob Dylan - Brixton Carling Academy - 21st November 2005
Review by Pete Gow
As I approach the twentieth anniversary of first seeing Bob Dylan perform, on that occasion, as a dewy eyed sixteen year old (me, not him), I mention this because it qualifies me, perhaps as well as any, to know the roll of the dice you take by purchasing a ticket for one of the more contrite performers of recent times (case in point, I walked out after forty minutes from his London Docklands Arena show two or three years back). Whilst I have resisted urges to see him 'for the last time' since then, I think everyone agrees that Dylan at the 3,500 capacity Brixton Academy, is a bit special. So once more into the e- bay- fray I went. £80.00 for a £35.00 ticket & apparently I got off quite lightly. Reviews of the recent UK shows have been mixed, but all seem to leave journalists slightly under whelmed. Conversely, the message boards & fan sites rave about him sounding the best he has in years - Still, if there are two people that can never be trusted to be objective about Bob Dylan, it is journalists & Bob Dylan fans. Taking the stage at an unprecedented 7.45pm, Dylan looks too cool for school in a black tailored suit & Stetson. As has been well documented, he no longer plays the guitar on tour, but stands at an electric piano, positioned to look out over his band (not the audience, the band) while he navigates us, and I suspect them, through tonight's set.
Whether it is the venue, or simply the fact he is on blistering form, one is immediately struck at how strong & clear Dylan's voice sounds and how equally in concert are his band, who, it has to be said rock; Rock, that is, and roll with the tempo, melody and phrasing changes with greater ease than any since G.E Smith's hey- day. It is the stuff of legend how Dylan reworks his material, often on the spot and this was recently explained - or at least justified - in Scorsese 's No Direction Home, where he acknowledges that the best performances of his songs are to be found on concert stages around the world & that very few were captured satisfactorily on record. Where the reason for my early departure from the last performance was that all his arrangements seemed to have defaulted to an indistinguishable mid- paced blues, tonight he has returned to thoughtfull re- writes of songs that we all thought we owned in the definitive. 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' is a tough, swamp- blues, while the two highlights are delicate readings of 'Visions of Johanna' & 'Boots of Spanish Leather'. The only time a song failed on every level was 'Mr. Tambourine Man' which was poorly executed and could not hide that the band and their leader appeared to be on five different wavelengths. The set lists to all Dylan shows raise rabid enthusiasm amongst devotees; He has written hundreds of songs & is liable over the course of a tour to play most of them. So the prime selection for the 'not heard that one in a while- ogists' was The Basement Tapes 'Million Dollar Bash', elsewhere there was a fine mix of oldies, standard bearers, quirky album tracks & plenty from his last studio album, 'Love & Theft'.
To many millions the world over who feel Dylan is simply going through the motions in concert, an encore of The Clash's 'London Calling', segued into 'Like A Rolling Stone' should be taken as irrefutable evidence that this is a man who takes his work seriously. At the shows close Dylan assembled his band, who circle him, arms folded like a private security detail. They take to the cape of the stage with no bows, no thank you's - they just stand there, absorbing the applause which as long as it is thunderous. It was a moment I will never forget, to be stood a matter of feet from the most important non- collaborative composer the rock age has produced & the man who's work is the measure of all that has come since. I was also mindfull of the fact that tomorrow night he might be crap. | | Marah - The Social, Nottingham - 19th November 2005 / 100 Club London - 20th November 2005
Review by Patrick Wilkins
...and this time its very definitely not acoustic. The last UK Marah jaunt was, nominally at least, acoustic, this visit, in case you were doubting it, proved that a full sized, full-on, electric Marah can rock as loud and hard as any band on the planet. Dave and Serge Bielanko, plus regular sideman Kirk Henderson, were augmented by a guitarist and drummer, so on some songs this meant a formidable, ear battering triple guitar attack. The Nottingham show was something of a breathless dash, given that the venue had a club night after the band, time was limited, the pace of the set was unrelenting. The volume was also unrelenting, from the kick off of 'Its Only Money Tyrone' everything was set on eleven. The venue was close to full but not sold out (four of us paid on the door). Marah have played Nottingham several times before, so there was a large number of enthusiastic converts in the crowd, the atmosphere was raucous, and some danced (yes, danced!) and shouted through the every single song. With an impressive (and Uncut endorsed) new record to promote 'If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry', understandably several songs from that featured, the rip-roaring 'The Closer', new crowd favourite 'The Apartment', 'Sooner Or Later', 'Dishwasher's Dream' with Serge doing his best Dylan impression, and the Elliott Smith-like 'City of Dreams'. Best of the older material was a fiery 'Round Eye Blues'. The band closed the main set, as they did the acoustic show in September, with Willie Nelson's 'On the Road Again'. The London show was at the 100 Club, a bigger venue, maybe 400 people this time, a reasonably large crowd for Sunday night. A more relaxed pace with no time pressures, but just as loud, with a similar but expanded set list, and the same power spirit and energy as the previous night. Additions for this set were the excellent 'Demon Of White Sadness', and the always storming 'Faraway You', sadly from a personal point of view, still no, 'Catfisherman'.
The audience, this time though possessed of some big city aloofness, was still enthusiastic. Serge is handing more of the vocals on this tour, which Dave seems to enjoy, Serge is also the story teller, having seen two shows on consecutive nights he does mix it up too, and can improvise quite imaginatively to deal with heckling from both audience and fellow band members alike, of which there is plenty! Both shows closed with a steamrolling 'Reservation Girl' leaving the audience with their ears ringing and their jaws dropping. Though the record buying/downloading public remain relatively indifferent, for live rock'n'roll in a small packed venue, you simply can't go wrong with Marah. | | Richard Hawley with Sophie Solomon - Manchester Academy 3 - 14th November 2005
Review by David Adair
Steeped in 70s influences the buoyant violinist Sophie Solomon painted a mysterious and mind opening picture of an enigmatic person in ‘Lazarus’. The use of a tumultuous string section that incorporated the leading lady on violin as well a pulsing double bass element, helped to give a vibrantly throbbing feel to heave up the set, instrumentally speaking. An intriguing noire element was prevalent, adding to the palatability of the brief and bold opener. ‘Burnt By The Sun’ that was both careering and troubled, worked as a scalding example of the flighty yet plaintive nature of this earnest artist’s work. ‘The Nights Are Cold’ continued a foray into the elements; containing wandering male vocals that are sung by Richard Hawley on the forthcoming album entitled; ‘Poison Sweat Madeira’. Sophie left the crowd feeling refreshed, but with a lot to dwell upon.
An evening of gritty nostalgia was always on the cards from a Morrissey and Tom Waites skirting Richard Hawley, as he paraded numbers from his three albums inclusive of tempting tracks from new full length offering; ‘Coles Corner’. Sentimentality and sappiness have always been as difficult to separate as conjoined twins. However, title track from latest album that is a celebration of a meeting place utilised by many generations of Sheffield citizens, including Hawley’s parents and grandparents drew the line quite comfortably. Straightforward honesty and banter delivered with brevity made Hawley an endearing and compelling artist to watch for over 90 minutes. Automated emotion was brought to life via ‘The Motorcycle Song’, in such a stirring manner that has not been seen since Kuku! The Emotional Robot. Country, folk jazz and blues were thrown into the diverse mix to round off a gripping evening of independent artistry. | | South San Gabriel - Rock City, Nottingham - 13th November 2005
Review by Robin Hynes
Appearances can sometimes be deceptive... and sometimes not. The dingy looking Rock City in a seedy Nottingham side street lived up to all my fairly low expectations for the venue. Once inside out of the cold November evening the noise-bleed from next doors under 18 thrash-metal-rock didn't enhance the ambience of this small black concert room. With a total audience of 25-30 I guess we were just outnumbered by the kids next door. .. but hey we had seats! Support artist Eric 'Crooked Fingers' Bachman a six footer who makes his guitar look positively small ucermeoniously took the stage to make a solo stand against the racket from next door by delivering a thoughtful and expressive accoustic set of songs most of which are apparently new and as yet unrecorded. I was impressed by his effortless (despite the cold) guitar playing and his emotive vocal which well suits his narrative lyrical style. I particularly enjoyed 'Man of War' and 'New Drink for an Old Drunk'
Next up South San Gabriel coming towards the end of their tour and looking decidedly lack-lustre, nonchalantly took the stage. But as I say appearances can be deceptive...these five unassuming individuals just sat down together to deliver a beautiful understated and emotional set. Despite the cold outside (and Will johnson's regret at not wearing his longjohns) they treated their pathetically small audience to a warm and full rendition of the story songs that feature such luminaries as Carlton, Ron, Kittyphone et al. My first introduction to South San Gabriel came with The Carlton Chronicles. I was captivated by the subject matter and concept but wondered how their distinct (almost cat-like) vocal sound would be rendered in a live setting. The answer was purrfectly (sorry!). The off kilter harmonies from Will Johnson and keyboard player Sott Danbom are just magical to hear conjuring an organic almost elemental combination which is their unique sound.
Will Johnson utilised accoustic and electric guitars and was in great vocal form and appeared totallly wrapped up in the songs. Mathew Stoessel switched between electric guitar and his pedal steel. The latter was perfectly judged proving that less really can be more. By the way having never before inspected such an instrument I was intrigued to see up close some of the heath robinson mechanicals underneath the keyboard involving all sorts of knee squeezing and pedal pushing - clever stuff on top of some great pickin' and slidin'! In addition to his keyboards and superb vocal harmonies Scott Danbom utilised some electrical trickery to good effect adding depth and vocal layering and also some percussion, and if he wasn't busy enough managed on occasion to contribute on his violin. Matt pence provided solid drums and Mark Hedman subtle bass and occasional electric guitar. The overall effect made for some mesmerising americana and the audience though few in number were extremely apprecitative. Highlights for me would be the opening track 'Charred Resentment the Same' which really sets the tone for the piece and then the sheer intensity of 'Stupid is as Stupid Does'. What a gem in a bejewelled set. | | Jimmy Webb - The Stables, Milton Keynes - 15th November 2005
Review by Keith Hargreaves
Songwriter overcomes dodgy voice and twice shooting himself in the foot to stage minor victory ... just. In the last couple of years the Stables has presented some great shows; Lambchop (twice) and Willard Grant Conspiracy to name a couple - but tonight in the intimate, deeply respectful surroundings of a purpose built theatre for live music we are to witness the talents of one of the seminal songwriters of late 20th century American music. And therein lies the problem; Jimmy Webb is without doubt a stunning songwriter whose canon contains works of depth and intelligence rarely found in popular music but as an interpreter of his work he rarely does it justice.
Opening with a new song was a brave move, particularly one as complex and wordy as Gaugin, and it was even braver to play the whole song again from scratch when he got lost thundering up and down the keyboard as the climax approached. Brave maybe but also very illuminating. The first version was soulless and empty, a shouted travelogue; but the second version.... well, a glimpse of a subtle, gentle powerful soul at work. This was sustained through the next song dedicated to the renegades Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Richard Harris et al. There is warmth to this song as the memories pour out and the evening starts to take shape. Each song is preceded by a long discourse containing a generous amount of name droppage and then the song is delivered as if on a silver platter for our delectation; this worked fine with gems such as Galveston, Witcita Lineman and Didn't We Almost Make It, but as the evening went on and the voice become more ragged, the material started to suffer badly and the quality of writing could not compensate for the decidedly average delivery. Each song was approached with a full on reverence that didn't allow Webb any room for manoeuvre to compensate for a voice, by his own admission not the best for his material, that was frankly knackered and therefore by the time Beautiful Balloon come along we were all wincing as he hit the high notes with all the grace of a frustrated hippopotamus trying to thread a needle. It was the aforementioned Beautiful Ballon that took out one of his aforementioned feet and an execrable Christmas song that did for the other; both songs displaying the artist’s inability to judge his own material objectively.
Somehow... somehow he saved it . It was a heartfelt and stirring reworking of Macarthur Park where the raggedness of his voice was racked by emotion, not nights of performing songs beyond his natural range, which lifted the song and the night to somewhere else untouched by the previous mediocrity. During one of the monologues Webb stated that he was about to record some new material with Glenn Campbell ''as Glenn s mind is now in the right place.'' ----as he quite clearly knows; others do his better than he himself and if the legacy of his songs wants to remain untarnished he needs to leave them to it. | | Peter Bruntnell - Bedford Star - 11th November 2005
Review by Keith Hargreaves
Rowing Club Torched By Rock n Roll. Last night in the defiantly conservative surroundings of a Bedford rowing club Pete Bruntnell and his band delivered a performance of swaggering joy and palpable emotion to delight a small but highly appreciative audience. Eastwest promotions of Bedford have been bringing some great names to this forgotten county town and last night was no exception. The Star rowing club is a prosaic venue at the best of times and the combination of small audiences sitting in large wicker armchairs surrounded by rowing memorabilia tests the rock n roll vibe to the limit. However the audience was both vocal and warm as support act Jim Jones accompanied by David Little took to the floor (there is no stage, just a line in the sand). They proceeded to set the tone and the bar with an half hour set of Jones numbers and one cover which were delivered with honesty and musicianship that was unexpected and at times very beautiful. Many acoustic duos run adrift on the rocks of plangent repetition but in this case Jones’ songs had the strength and individuality to become separate entities within the set and the cover of Mr. Young’s “Ride my Llama” was straightforward and unembellished by any tinkering and all the better for it. It is rare that a support act is asked for an encore but these boys were - they didn't deliver but they were asked.
Peter Bruntnell starts his set with two acoustic numbers (including “By the Time My Head Gets to Phoenix”) which highlight his songwriting and the richness of a singing voice not unlike Paul Weller’s. A collapsing harmonica holder doesn't throw this old pro - it only adds to the connection with the audience as he requests they keep the beat whilst he recovers ....seamlessly I might add. Then the band step up to the plate and the evening goes from the Wright Brothers to Nasa in the change of a guitar . They are tight, loose, committed to the material and seemingly experimental; all within the frames of the pictures of Bruntnell’s rounded sharply observed compositions. It appeared that the guitarist James Walbourne had been given the brief to fly by the seat of the pants and create textures and highlights where ever possible, which he did in spades without ever losing sight of an approaching chorus or coda. His style delights and although deeply indebted to Neil Young, Robert Quine and the like it plainly speaks in its own tongue. I am not familiar with PB’s material (though I soon will be) and therfore cannot give a set list but highlights include Saskatchewan, Here Come the Swells ,Ghost in a Spitfire and Powderfinger amongst many others I could not name .... the smile on my face preventing objective thought . An excellent evening’s entertainment . If GIAS does not break Peter Bruntnell into ' The Big Time ' then he can justifiably feel that the gods have and indeed are urinating on him from a great height, for this is the very spirit of sweet rock and roll. | | The Constantines - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 10th November 2005
Review by Patrick Wilkins
Canadian indie scenesters wow the adoring few. On this tour, the plan was for The Constantines to open for Sub-Pop label mates Sleater-Kinney, however S-K unfortunately cancelled due to illness, but the Constantines stuck with the dates, so played the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham as headliners. Whilst possessed of a considerable following in their native Canada, the band are not well known here (yet), but with a fair Uncut review of their recent 'Tournament Of Hearts' record, their third full length, and a mere fiver to get in, it was worth a shot. There were less than 20 people at the show and 5 or 6 of those must have been Canadians, given away by their frequent whooping, and more than one break out of a 'TOR-ON-TO! TOR-ON-TO!' chant, much to the amusement of the band. The Constantines are much louder, harder and faster than the records might lead you to expect, this was a rock show, right from the kick off song, 'Draw Us Lines', the keyboard player Will Kidman added extra percussive clout by whacking a floor tom-tom, the statement of intent was clear, no sensitive indie guy stuff here. Musically they have some 80s Brit influences, mostly of a dark kind, Joy Division, The Cure, Gang Of Four, but there's some Americana in there too, some Springsteenisms in particular. The dirty trebly style of the bass player, Dallas Wehrle, called to mind Killing Joke. As these influences suggest, the songs are neither overly blessed with cheery optimism nor always instantly accessible, but the energy and tightness of the band more than compensates for this. Usual singer and lead guitarist, Bryan Webb, lanky and slightly awkward, has a vocal style somewhere between Joe Strummer and Shane McGowan, and if you had to guess, it seems likely his favourite song is the Clash's 'Straight To Hell'. He also played a couple of guitar solos through something like a modern equivalent of a wah wah pedal, which sounded really rather good.
Despite the fact the crowd was so small the band still went for it with some rock star poses and high kicks when belting out the power chords. Second guitarist and now-and-then vocalist Steve Lambke (who had specifically learnt how to say 'Notting-um', local style, rather than 'Nodding Ham', North American style, to avoid being laughed at!) was less audible amid the raucous backing, probably just as well as he didn't appear to be singing as much as shouting, but it still sort of worked somehow. The vaguely countryish 'Soon Enough' from the new album worked wonderfully, so much so that you'd think they would do more songs with a roots orientation. The anthemic 'Working Full Time' was great too, OK it was verging on stadium rock, but in a good way. A fairly short set, less than an hour, but really razor sharp. I suspect they'll be a lot more people next time. | | Son Volt – Carling Academy, Islington, London - 9th November 2005
Review by Pete Gow
Six months on the road & we’re gonna make it home tonight. Returning to The Carling Academy for a one off show, having treated the UK to a sneak preview of the magnificent ‘Okemah & the Melody of Riot’ album in May (see the impressive collection of AMUK reviews in our features section) it is clear that the intervening months have not been spent resting on their laurels. For tonight’s show, the May line up is superseded by Chris Frame who ousts James Walbourne on guitar (though not completely, as Walbourne’s new outfit Royal Gun offered a great support set) and the addition of a keyboard/ percussionist. Dave Bryson and Andrew DuPlantis remain the rhythm section of choice. Jay Farrar is a firm believer in keeping his musical legacy in check & never allowing any sense of sentimentality to creep into his set; early Son Volt played a lot of Uncle Tupelo material, but more through necessity than anything else. However, by the time the solo albums arrived, with a much larger catalogue to draw from, the Uncle Tupelo/ Son Volt/ Jay Farrar canon was kept (with the odd exception that simply proves the rule) both distinct and separate.
For this reason, tonight’s set list was a pleasure to behold; understandably it drew heavy from the recent album, but there was plenty time to redress the balance of cruelly ignoring ‘Straightaways’ in May, with ‘Picking Up the Signal’ and an astonishing acoustic reading of ‘Way Down Watson’, performed with an echo return on his vocal which lent the harmonica solo a chamber like quality. Elsewhere show stoppers like ‘Medicine Hat’ and ‘Chickamauga’ kept the old school panting to keep up. The solo material too was amply represented with Sebastopol stompers ‘Feel Free’ and ‘Damn Shame’ re- worked to fit perfectly in within the Son Volt format. It is the songs from Okemah & The Melody of Riot that have benefited most from six months touring - kicked around and grown into. ‘Afterglow 61’, ‘Bandages & Scars’ and ‘6 String Belief’ now sound like the bona fide Son Volt classics they are sure to become, along with the peoples favourite ‘Joe Citizen’s Blues’ omitted from the album, but becoming increasingly available through the internet only release ‘Afterglow 61 EP’. Hearing this song for the first time in its entirety shows it to be some of Farrar’s finest writing to date.
It is fair to say we have to depend wholly on the strength of the material to carry us through the concert experience. Jay Farrar is never going to get all ‘Springsteen’ on our ass with his between song monologues & guitarist Frame wore the resigned countenance of a man performing the gig as part of a community service order. Only the animated bass & vocal contributions from DuPlantis (Boris Becker on heroin as my mate described him) betrayed any signs that the band was enjoying themselves anywhere near as much as the crowd. To that end the only draw back to a fantastic show was the guy behind me screaming every lyric to every song in my ear – badly! It could be worse though, the girl stood in front of me had to contend with both of us. | | Green Note's Gram Parsons Tribute - Green Note, Camden - 5th November 2005
Review by Nic Fildes
As Hank Wangford took to the Green Note stage to honour his friend of yesteryear Gram Parsons, he said; "It's been a long time since I've been able to stand at a bar in North London and hear George Jones - the Ray Charles of country." It's a fair point, as was his observation that when he started hanging out with Parsons 35 years ago, most of the people in the room hadn't yet been born. It's testament to Parson's famous country-rock style that despite never illiciting the quasi-religious fervour from fans of other live-fast/die-young icons like Hendrix and Morrison, a tribute night like this still attracts a predominantly young crowd. Green Note, an acoustic music venue situated in Camden showcasing americana, folk and blues acts, has only been open three months but to judge by the success of this event, it will become an essential square on London's live music monopoly board. The place was heaving with Gram fans who looked like they'd stepped straight out of 1973 and in between bursts of country jukebox favourites, a variety of eclectic artists took on Gram's songs.
Two years ago at the Union Chapel, Gram's daughter Polly Parsons organized a more formal tribute to her father. Veterans of that night included Wangford, who played a brilliant leathery version of "You're Still On My Mind," and Adam Masterson, a Stevie-Ray Vaughan lookalike with a stunning voice. His husky renditions of "A Song For You," and "Hot Burritto #2" and particularly his soulful take on "Dark End of the Street," really impressed, providing a rockier edge to Parsons' classics. The Ugly Guys, pub-rock veterans with a CV that includes touring with the Flying Burrito Brothers in the 1970's, topped and tailed the night with rowdy versions of "Hickory Wind," "Brand New Heartache" and "You Ain't Going Nowhere," amongst others. More gentle versions of the lovely "Sleepless Nights," and timeless "Love Hurts" were provided by Minuteman's Jim Dare, with harmony provided by Rosaleen McGonagle, who has collaborated Burrito's member Al Perkins.
Also standing out was The Tailors' Adam Killip who produced a gentle, intriguing version of "High Fashion Queen," while members of The 18th Day of May tackled "Codine" with indie-aplomb. As it neared midnight, the event entered drunken singalong territory, although Emma Tricca deserves kudos for a folkie take on Emmylou Harris' tricky "From Boulder to Birmingham." With smiles all round and e-mail addresses exchanged, Londoners will do well to find a more friendly crowd. They'll also do well to find a better "flying burrito," made especially for the night but good enough to become a Green Note staple. After turning away more than 60 punters, tickets for Gram's 60th birthday party will disappear fast next year. And if you can't wait that long, Green Note is planning a regular Americana night aptly named "Sweethearts of the Rodeo." Sweethearts of the Burrito perhaps? | | The White Stripes and The Greenhornes - Alexandra Palace, London - 8th November 2005
Review by Patrick Wilkins
Jack and Meg crank it up and go for the jugular. When looking at the current state of music that gets bought in large quantities, its difficult to feel anything but despair. White Stripes therefore are something to be thankful for, hugely popular, exceptionally good at what they do, a proper band, and they really know how to put on a live show. Starting with the pummelling 'Black Math', the first half hour of this sold out extravaganza was a relentless rifferama onslaught, interspersed with screaming solos, Jack's vocals bordering on hysterical, and Meg battering her kit two fisted. 'Blue Orchid' was the most well received of these early numbers possibly because it was the most recently released. Songs didn't always come out full length, 'Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground' started attached to 'Blue Orchid' and reappeared for a finish a couple of songs later, a nicely unsettling way of playing things.
When eventually there was a pause for breath with the jingle-esque 'My Doorbell' it was like a washing powder advert interrupting a showing of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. The energy and adrenaline level was extraordinary, as if having the raw ends of a sparking high voltage lead thrust into your neck. It still seems amazing that just two people on stage can summon up so much force. The trend continued with the likes of 'Death Letter', 'I Think I Smell A Rat', a dramatic 'Jolene', and 'Lets Shake Hands' rattling round this massive, packed old building. Light relief was provided by 'Cold Cold Night' and 'I Can Tell That We Are Going To Be Friends'. The bulk of the set seemed to come from 'White Blood Cells' and 'Elephant', though all their albums had their moments. The theatrical setting was similar to Glastonbury, so Jack, all in black, in matador mode, and the stage decked out in white ferns with cloth backdrops, black, red and white, also mostly of ferns, the main design above the back of the stage featuring, in the centre, a large apple, occasionally illuminated, the effect, a strange blend of latin heat and oriental exotic. Meg, as usual, at the left of the stage, side on, was in traditional White Stripes garb, red t shirt and white trousers. Curiously Jack frequently referred to Meg as 'Penny' or 'Penny Farthing'. An odd moment did occur when Jack paused to deliver a swipe at NME, holding a copy of the paper aloft he claimed they had incorrectly attributed to him a less than complimentary quote about fans, it was touching that he had clearly been stung by this, it'll be interesting to see how White Stripes are reviewed in the NME in future. The main set lasted only an hour and ten minutes, but, though the band left the stage as if the show was over, it was more of an intermission, as the following encore stretched out past the half hour mark. The latter kicked off with more bone breaking drive in 'The Hardest Button To Button', possibly the song of the night, soon followed by the inevitable 'Seven Nation Army', now one of the most recognisable riffs in rock, 'I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself' in which Jack left large parts of the vocal duties to the audience, and the gentle rootsy 'Little Ghost' from the last record. Closing song was the blues standard (Leadbelly?) 'Boll Weevil'.
Minor gripe was that there was no place for 'Ball and Biscuit' or 'Fell In Love With A Girl', but that didn't detract too much from what was overall potent, powerful stuff. Opening band were the Greenhornes, from Cincinnati, currently a three piece, they have recorded a song with White Stripes Brit pal Holly Golightly. This song featured in the recent Jim Jarmusch film 'Broken Flowers'(an odd coincidence that I just saw that film at the weekend). They play a 60s inflected garage rock, comparable to Reigning Sound, they include some covers from that era like the Yardbirds 'Lost Woman', but they really had nothing in the way of stage presence, and merely lurked around the 'OK' level. | | Darden Smith and Griffin House - The Maze @ Cabaret, Nottingham - 1st November 2005
Review by Jeremy Searle
It’s a quiet night at the Maze as opener Griffin House takes to the stage. He’s on his second visit to the UK in support of his debut album “Lost and Found” and having been newly shorn, now looks very preppy (rather as you imagine the Drug Squad would dress if they were impersonating singer-songwriters) and nothing like his artfully dishevelled poster. He has a big voice and makes a big noise, which is slightly at odds with his fresh-faced songs. He’s actually better at the quieter stuff, notably closer “Waterfall” and “Missed My Chance”, and although an endearing performer, seems to be a bit unsure of himself and feeling his way. That should pass though, and he has buckets of potential.
The main event is the perennially under-rated Darden Smith, who’s just released “Field of Crows”, the latest in a series of excellent albums stretching back for a couple of decades. He’s a lot more comfortable on stage than he used to be, and strikes up much more of a rapport with the audience, rather than the take it or leave it approach he’s occasionally been guilty of in the past. His newer material is more reflective and contemplative and reflects his age (mid-forties), parenthood and his concerns at the state of the world (“Field of Crows” is informed, but not tub-thumpingly so, by the Iraq war). He peppers the set with classic oldies like “Meet me on the Levee” and “Talk to Me”, all accompanied by his percussive guitar. Every so often he unplugs and does a straight acoustic number or two sitting on a chair at the front of the audience. An increasingly common ploy among performers, he’s one of its pioneers, and it serves to emphasise his powerful voice, which is often restrained on stage, and also his casually excellent guitar playing. A class evening from a class act. |
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