Live Reviews January/February 2009
Quick-links to sub-sections:
Richard Thompson - The Barbican, London - 15th January 2009
Mary Gauthier - Celtic Connections, The Tron, Glasgow - 29th January 2009
Judy Collins - Jazz Cafe, London, January 26th 2009
James McMurty and the Heartless Bastards - Oran Mor, Glasgow - 1st February 2009
Crosby Tyler - The Steeple Hall, Kilbarchan - 16th February 2009
Arlo Guthrie - 100 Club - 6th February 2009
Fleet Foxes - The Roundhouse, London - 24th February 2009
| Live reviews this month for Richard Thompson, Mary Gauthier, Judy Collins and James McMurty and the Heartless Bastards, Crosby Tyler, Arlo Guthrie and Fleet Foxes.
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Richard Thompson - The Barbican, London - 15th January 2009
Review by Jonathan Aird
This is the songs of the millennium tour - and I guess you've probably heard the story all ready ?
Well, turn of the century Richard Thompson is asked to contribute to Playboy's celebrity picked list of the greatest songs of the millennium. Whilst everyone else realises that they really want the best songs of the last 50 years or so, Thompson goes and does a bit of research and submits a genuine best of from the last 1000 years. They don't bother using his contribution. But Richard Thompson, being Richard Thompson, turns the list into a setlist and does a few shows. Then Richard Thompson, being Richard Thompson, puts out a DVD + 2CD recording of the concerts. And now Richard Thompson, being Richard Thompson, is extensively touring an updated version of the show. Anyone else would have stopped at the list.
Which of course means that the bad news is that there's no reason to expect much in the way of songs by the maestro himself - much as one might want to hear "walking on a wire" or "the ditching boy" or "a man in need". Might there be a couple as the encore ? Think it through - is Thompson the kind of chap to compromise the purity of the theme ? See - you already knew the answer.
Richard Thompson, with trademark beret, comes on stage playing the hurdy-gurdy, with percussionist Debra Dobkin beating a drum, and accompanied by singer/keybords Judith Owen, with this first tune from 1000 years ago. After the applause he started to explain the evening in his stumbling manner - it's remarkable just how nervous he appears to be between tunes, never fully at ease as he trips over words, jokes shyly and drops his notes. Then when he's playing or singing, both in his singular style, he's the master of the stage.
The first set is a rapid romp through the first 900 years of the last millennium - with folk songs such as Three Crows (which uses the same tune as the probabbly better known Cruel Sister), the 14th century Italian tune So Ben Ni Ca Bon Tempo ("a song about cuckolding - which I think is making a comeback these days" quips Thompson, adding, for any Italian speakers that it's sung in that difficult colloquial medieval Italian, so there might be some mistakes). An excellent False Knight (introduced with a sly "Steeleye Span did this, our version's better, no, no, not really"), a little opera (Dido's lament before her immolation, from Purcell's opera, sung by Judith Owen). There's a slide show running throughout behind the players of well chosen illustrations, the blending of sailors and ships throughout Shenandoah was particularly effective.
It's during The Black Leg Miner that I realise what an excellent drummer Debra Donkin is, here the previous fairly gentle accompaniment becomes something far more sinister as the fate awaiting scab mine workers is brutally spelt out. The set is closed out with some late Victorian / early 20th century material - with some Gilbert & Sullivan and the broad music hall of I live in Trafalgar Square, which Owen again takes the lead on, she's at her best in a "character role", here she's a chirpy cockney sparrer.
After The Intermission comes a jaunty gallp through the 20th century - kicking off with the evocation of a Harlem nightclub with Java Jive, leading onto Cry me a river - which I felt was (along with Night and Day also a jazzy number) a weak song in the set, although to be fair it got a great deal of applause, so what do I know ? Things got back on track with Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee about the pleasures of drink, and tellingly illustrated with photo’s that go from rather "cool" Black rocking-blues fans then progressing through to saccharine white middle-American school kids. The early history of rock’n’roll in a nutshell.
The 1960's were represented by the first raga inspired pop song - See my friends, by the Kinks followed up by Friday on my mind (again the drumming coming into it's own here), and all to a backdrop of oil lamp patterns and flashing psychedelic patterns intercut with starkly black and white dressed Mod girls. Absolutely brilliant.
I'm aware that I haven't said much about Richard Thompson's guitar playing - well it was throughout excellent, restrained when restraint was called for, driving melody and bass lines when that was needed, and never more brilliantly than on Abba's Money Money Money - played without the use of keyboards and transforming the song into a tune carried totally on the guitar.
For the encore there was a song attributed to Richard I ("sung in that difficult medieval French"), the song Maneater ("mostly in the style of Nellie Furtado, but the middle section is sung in Latin" - and it was) and closing out with a Mersey beat medley, terminating with I want to hold your hand.
All in all a superb evening, every step made with a light touch, plenty of irony and self deprecation ("someone lock the doors, we're going to do Opera next"), fantastic visual show, great band - this is not the usual set list and the range of musical styles is staggering - even some 1950's c&w made the cut : played dead pan but not at all seriously. From what I've read this eclectic selection of songs was - although lacking any band material - not so very different from what would have been heard at an early classic Fairport Convention gig - and I'll buy that idea.
On tour in the UK through January / early February and if you can ..... | | Mary Gauthier - Celtic Connections, The Tron, Glasgow - 29th January 2009
Review by Mike Ritchie
She’s happy she pipped Bob Dylan to rhyme “kitchenette” with “cigarette” in one of her songs and that must mean a lot in the world of the singer-songwriter. But listening to 75 minutes of vivid tales – “a bruising” as she described what she had in store for the sell-out gig – there is clearly an argument that the excellent Mary Gauthier must be as good a lyricist there is in circulation at the moment. Her words are compelling and captivating, hand-picked and delivered with care to ensure none of their meaning is lost or misinterpreted.
Singing about The Last of The Hobo Kings from her “Between Daylight and Dark” CD released last year, her wordsmith credentials glow: “He (the hobo) knew how his nation’s doing by the length of a sidewalk cigarette butt; Born with an aching wanderlust, embedded in his gut.” The words are evocative and apt while her vocals flit seamlessly between fury and aching fragility highlighted best on Can’t Find The Way, which is a hurting, haunting, angry lament for the destruction of her hometown, New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Tonight, it was a heartbreaking rendition.
Sad songs make her happy but there’s nothing wrong with the blues especially when what’s on offer is a stunning collection of well-woven tales oozing heartfelt sentiments, shrewd observations and shades of hope – with no room for sentiment. Every song is pitched into the darkness of the auditorium where silent onlookers devour the storylines and savour the style and depth of her guitar playing. She was, in turn, mournful, witty, political and playful as she dipped into her catalogue whose first song was written, unbelievably, when she was 35. With Carrie Rodriguez’s exquisite violin accompaniment on several songs, this was a top-class gig that connected with everyone to make a lasting impression. | | Judy Collins - Jazz Cafe, London, January 26th 2009
Review by Jonathan Aird
I well recall the first time I heard Judy Collins - it was the Colours of the Day (a best of album) at a party on New Years Eve 1983. What an astonishing voice - it really jarred me, and I rushed down to Collets International Bookshop as soon as possible in the New Year and found a second hand copy in the basement record shop. Although I've noticed she's been playing gigs in the UK every now and again in then last few years I've either not been able to make it, or felt the venue too large to make for a good experience. So when the Jazz Cafe gig was announced it seemed to be something of a perfect opportunity. Having caught her short set at The Barbican the week before I knew she was in good voice, and I was already anticipating a couple of "odd" arrangements, but still felt pretty positive about the prospect.
There was a support artist - Sadie Jemmett - who sang and played acoustic guitar - and on one song the dulcimer. I wasn't overly impressed - her guitar playing was quite good, but her lyrics seemed to be based around the twin themes of "I" and "me". Even when she stepped outside of the self for a song like "The blacksmith's daughter" there was a lot of dramatic guitar emotion and lyrics appeared to have allusion to some great secret or insight, but finally revealed nothing - flash not substance. Worst of all it seemed to me that she had styled her voice on Alanis Morisette - so on songs offering London vignettes these were strained through a faux North American accent and lost their local connection. In short - I'm not a fan just yet.
Judy Collins took the stage a little before 9:30 to warm applause, accompanied by her pianist. She kicked off with just her on acoustic 12 string for a fine rendition of Chelsea Morning. I'm unlikely to ever have the pleasure of hearing Joni sing this live - and even less likely to do so with her in good voice - so this really is the next best thing. Judy's soprano is still shockingly clear - and mostly has the emotional shading to really connect with the audience. There are a couple of jarring moments - "send in the clowns" left me cold for example, and the unnecessary cover of The Beatles’ "Norwegian Wood". Although, perversely I enjoyed Blackbird.
Judy Collins of course hails from the American Folk Revival - which relied on traditional song - tonight's wonderful John Reilly for example - but also had a "Folk Tin Pan Alley" with writers like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen providing the material. And Judy Collins still does the only other version of Sandy Denny's "Who knows where the time goes" that is really essential.
Between songs Judy chats about where songs came from, or events connected with particular songs - like the encouragement she was given to start her own writing leading to songs like "My Father". As she speaks she mixes in snatches of songs, like "Four Strong Winds", either to illustrate a point or because someone has shouted out for it. When "Farewell to Tarwahie" is called for she sings the first verse unaccompanied and then clearly makes a decision to carry on, dragging the following verses back to mind for a moving performance of this whaling song. Later on, singing at the piano, she stumbles over "Suzanne" getting as far as “she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from......... where do they come from?" There's a big shout of "CHINA", to which she responded with thanks, later turning a couple more times to the audience for more reminders of the words of this song, emphasizing, if necessary, the intimacy of the gig compared to a theatre show.
And, thank goodness we get through the evening without "Amazing Grace" - the single encore was the other must have choice "Both Sides Now". A great singer, undiminished by time.
Set List
Chelsea Morning
Medley : Leaving on a Jet Plane / Take me home country roads / Leaving on a jet plane
John Reilly
The hills of Shiloh
That song about the midway
Who knows where the time goes
Blackbird
Norwegian Wood
Farewell to Tarwahie
Anathea
Open the door
Gauguin
Suzanne
My father
Colours of the day
Send in the clowns
Encore : Both sides now | | James McMurty and the Heartless Bastards - Oran Mor, Glasgow - 1st February 2009
Review by Mike Ritchie
He was worth every minute of the wait. Award-winning Texan singer/songwriter, James McMurtry and his band, The Heartless Bastards blew Glasgow away as they marked the fifth anniversary of The Fallen Angels Club’s promotion of great live music. This was his first-ever European tour - and only date Scottish date, co-inciding with Celtic Connections – and that made the sell-out crowd extremely envious of our gig-going compadres in the States who get the chance to see the man and the band regularly.
McMurtry’s music is a glorious mix of swampy, rocking, bar-room blues with lyrics – some very political – that make everyone sit up and take notice, even, we’re told, the US Government. And he’s knocked off some top awards along the way. On tonight’s evidence that is easy to understand. His approach is languid, his chat laconic, his guitar playing mesmerising, in an understated hypnotic way. There’s no fuss or bluster, pomp or preening, just no-nonsense songs in the key of excellent that demand more beer be ordered and quaffed. Head nodding, too, is unavoidable.
The much-admired presidential indictment of a song We Can’t Make It Here, from the brilliant “Childish Things” CD, hurtled by in a flurry of spat-out lyrics jostled along by splintering guitar work. He suggested he might not have to sing this particular song for much longer with a new President now in charge, but how could he can such a belter? Red Dress, a standout from the “Live in Aught Three” CD, simmers and threatens and you guess that McMurtry isn’t the kind of guy to mess with. His band, with ex-Faces and ex-Stones, Ian McLagan on keyboards, are fully focused and, as they use to say in the music press, “very tight.” Nothing is wasted as song-after-song, including a couple from his latest recording “Just Us Kids,” are fired off to great roars of approval. It’s music that begs to be played on an endless loop - and live it is really full on impact, uncompromising on quality and flawless on story-telling and thumping good musicianship.
McMurtry says that he tours with this band so they can make albums and they make albums so they can tour – no-one at this top notch show would wish for anything else. | | Crosby Tyler - The Steeple Hall, Kilbarchan - 16th February 2009
Review by Paul Kerr
When Peter Case’s UK tour was cancelled due to heart surgery Crosby Tyler stepped in to perform the dates as fund-raisers to pay some of Case’s medical bills. Riding high on the reviews of his debut album, “10 Songs of America Today” (produced by Case), Tyler, a tall rangy individual, didn’t disappoint. Performing solo, the quality of his writing, his way with a tune and his engaging presence made for a fine night. Looking weirdly like a younger Michael Hurley, Tyler was able to produce a set of songs that tapped into American folk sources with touches of humour and, at times and in a more serious vein looked at the underbelly of American society.
The bijou venue was almost like having a house concert without comfy chairs but allowed Tyler to engage with the audience in an intimate style. A storyteller, (in his own words, a balladeer), his songs in the style of old folk blues artists regaled us with hard times, car hopping, running from the law. With guitar and harmonica and a splendid well worn voice he buzzed on the feedback from the crowd, several songs had them joining in the choruses despite the certainty this was the first time they had heard them. Covers of Big Bill Broonzy’s “All By Myself” and that old chestnut “Cottonfields” capped the singalong. Tyler, who is from LA and looks as if he has had a fairly counter cultural past also threw in a couple of ditties referring to weed which reminded one of the likes of Arlo Guthrie and the sixties celebrations of this hippie sacrament.
Other songs were on a more serious note, the tragicomic tale of a clown reminiscing about his past and a vegan lament, dedicated to his pet sow and sung on her behalf with a passion. “Hobos, Bozos and Lost Lonely Things” portrayed the outcasts, Americans who don’t fit in with mall culture, harking back to a possibly mythic, but possibly utopian, railroad riding boho past that appears more attractive than our modern stress ridden angst.
Throwing some light onto the origins of some of the songs from his album Tyler referenced his multicultural neighbourhood in fine renditions of “So Out of Place” and “Payasos Borrachos Y Locos”, updated the protest song on “Six Tattoos and a Tongue Ring” and eulogised his father in “Red,” a song that demonstrated the damage war can inflict on its survivors. The highlight of the evening was a tremendous rendition of “Leave It All in the Hands of the Lord.” As Tyler explained, not a religious song but a description of ex prez George W’s abdication of responsibility for the mess he got us all in. | | Arlo Guthrie - 100 Club - 6th February 2009
Review by Jonathan Aird
Arlo is Woody Guthrie's son - pretty obvious but you have to wonder what it's like being a folk singer/songwriter type and to also have Woody Guthrie as your dad. And when your dad's live performance was as famous for his talkin' and all, and then you decide that you'll build quite a lot of talkin' into your performance too well that's going to attract some comparisons. And if you then top it all off with ramblin' around and having spent your formative years hanging around backstage at places like the Cafe Wah?, where everyone knew you 'cos they knew your dad, or if they're called Ramblin’ Jack or Bobby D then they actually wanted to be your dad. Well, how would that all be?
So forging my way through the last traces of a snow bound Capital to reach the frosty and chilly outside of the 100 Club and reflecting that so few of so many Arlo albums are easily available in the UK I paused and wondered to myself what I would find at the bottom of the stairs. This has been billed as "the Arlo Guthrie Solo reunion tour - together at last" which is to say tonight there'll be Arlo and a guitar and no more. Except for the support.
The support is MacGillivray, a dark haired, sombrely dressed young woman who has come, she says, to sing us some Scottish songs. Such as a love song to a wolf from the wolf hunter. Or an inarticulate cry of despair entitled Culloden. She has a strong voice, the songs themselves remind me of Robin Williamson - which for me means you've either got to know them already or have a hushed room to hear them in to be able to appreciate them. Of course I have neither.
Arlo came on stage at about 8:45pm, and it is a shock. I'd seen recent photo's of him. I knew he was older. It happens to people. Yet I can't get rid of that image of the impish tousel haired interloper on the Woodstock stage. He's sporting a pair of guitars - 6 string and 12 string - which he pretty much alternates between throughout, just as he alternates between anecdote/story and song. And it works great - I don't think I've ever laughed as much at a gig before. As I think about what I was laughing at I guess you had to be there - example: the comparison of songwriting to fishing : they both involve a lot of just sitting around waiting for something to come along. This is extrapolated to the advice to songwriters - the most important thing is to not be sitting down stream of Bob Dylan, very dryly finished off with "I said to Bob once 'couldn't he throw the small ones back?'. Bob didn't think that was very funny". This is part of the intro' to "The Motorcycle Song" - a song so poor, the still impish Arlo states, that you can see the reason for instrumentals - so he follows it up with a Hawaiian style slide guitar instrumental.
"Alice's Restaurant" is not played, and perhaps this is just as well as the draft dodging message is no longer relevant, however the still topical "When A soldier makes it home" is played. There are a number of Woody Guthrie's songs - "Pretty Boy Floyd", "This Land is your Land". There's his memories of Leadbelly and his song "Alabama Bound", a Big Bill Broonzy number - "St James infirmary blues" and also a number of Arlo's "greatest hits" - the sing-along favourite "City of New Orleans", a very fine rendition of "My Darkest Hour", and of course the classic "Coming into Los Angeles" - with an accompanying story about how America has changed - he was sitting at the airport with one of his children when he spotted some Secret Service agents - over 6' tall, black suits, shades and things in their ears. One approaches him and on having ascertained that he is Arlo Guthrie, enquires "Mr Guthrie, are you bringing in a couple of keys?”. They have a nice chat and Arlo and his kid go away with secret service pens, secret service stickers, all kinds of neat secret service stuff.
After an hour and a half or so the final closer is "My Peace" - another of Woody's archived lyrics that Arlo has set to music, and there's still "a couple or three thousand" songs to go (which could keep Wilco and Billy Bragg busy for a while). A fine end to a superb night. Everyone is encouraged to sing along second time through - even if we do "feel it's a bit kumbaya" to do so. It's a fine end to an evening which has been a wild romp through 70 years or more of Americana by someone who was really there. Even if he wasn't able to remember it all.... | | Fleet Foxes - The Roundhouse, London - 24th February 2009
Review by Jonathan Aird
What is it with Fleet Foxes ? Last time Bonfire Night, this time Pancake day. I know they are enamoured of English folk, but if they're planning on gigging on every English traditional celebration then I guess I ought to keep Maundy Thursday free...
This was the 3rd of three sold out nights at The Roundhouse, on this evening with support Vetiver. Vetiver, I have read, are some kind of psychfolk outfit, whatever that is. To me it conjures up The Incredible String Band, or the Steve Peregrin Took era of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Visually Vetiver have taken style tips from Neil Young in his Harvest phase. I'm only familiar with Vetiver's covers album - Thing of the Past - which had led me to be hopeful for an eclectic mix of late '60's early 70's tinged folk/rock. On their first few songs this is what they are, blended with a country rock Byrds c1968 sound - not unpleasing. Recalling that it's their covers album that I know I'm amazed that, considering the Roundhouse's Hawkwind history they choose not to play their version of "Hurry On Sundown" - it would have been so fitting. The did play several songs off the not yet released new album, fortunately one that they played - Sister - features on this month's Uncut magazine cover disc so at least I'd heard one before. The songs identified as being from the new album grabbed me the least during the set, occasionally they did cut loose and had the makings of a Crazy Horse lopping off for a "down by the river" style extended jam, but disappointingly these were cut short before they reached their full potential.
As the Roundhouse continued to fill out the press at the front became pretty uncomfortable, and I found myself noting for the future that the seats in the raised level all offer good stage views. Fleet Foxes go from strength to strength, but since I saw them last in November 2008 the audience has shifted considerably. That audience had been enthusiastic and keen to hear (albeit they talked over the drummer's opening set). This audience - well it's a TOTP crowd. Am I really standing here like the unhip uncle amongst a sea of teenagers ? The answer is mainly yes - although there's a few of us dotted through the crowd. This is a seething mass - texting, talking loudly and continuously, even taking phone calls during the music. So when Robin Pecknold covers a song from Colin Blunstone's first post Zombies album or when he mentions that a tune snatch is "some Harry Nilsson" then he may as well have been talking Martian. Blank faces all-round. The irony - Fleet Foxes are steeped in the music of 1968-74 ish, it has garnered them acclaim and a large following that love them - clearly do – but apparently care nothing for what Fleet Foxes love. Just how bizarre is that ?
Robin Pecknold, already the band leader and songwriter is greeted onstage with more than a few call outs of his name - no-one else in the band gets the same treatment. There's a bit of banter through the set - Pecknold suggests installing a planetarium so the show could take place under the stars, Skyler Skjelset sends a disposable camera out into the crowd to get pictures as a record of the event (he should probably have mentioned to use the flash...). They played all the "hits" of course - a rousing Mykonos, a fine Your Protector and Blue Ridge Mountains, a bouncy Fairport Conventionesque English House and the song of the night - a riveting Oliver James - a tale of a mother laying her son out for burial on one of the few family heirlooms - the kitchen table. Somewhere along the line the brittle poetry has become crowd roaring anthems, which is perhaps the weirdest thing in the whole night. I still think the CSN comparisons are ridiculous, although I can better appreciate the Beach Boys comparisons in the structure of some of the songs.
There are some intermittent sound problems - squeals, feedback and mike's going in and out, but this also gives the one really magical moment of the night. Robin Pecknold is on stage alone, and his acoustic guitar can't be heard - some problem with the lead. He steps to the front of the stage and tucks the lead away, then plays and sings fully acoustic. Even the dimmer members of the audience realise that shouting "we can't hear you" doesn't help and, oh bliss, silence descends and one man with a guitar fills a large space with genuine acoustic folk music. I didn't recognise the song, but loved the sentiment, something to the effect of - "if I could be where I would be then I wouldn't be here".
On the whole a good, rather than a great night. Vetiver were a bit of a disappointment, and from where I stood Fleet Foxes looked tired, dare I say a little bored and disconnected? Maybe that's the effect of having done 3 nights in a row and having only a small pool of music to draw on. I think I'll wait until after the next album before seeing them again. |
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