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28 January 2012
A triple bill for this cellar gig in a venerable old converted church saw a sizeable crowd turn out on a cold night with at least four other fine Celtic Connection shows in competition. Kicking off the show was New Zealand based Tiny Ruins, otherwise known as Hollie Fullbrook. Armed only with her guitar she delivered an all too short set of songs from her debut album 'Some Were Meant For Sea' with a delightfully delicate touch. 'Old As The Hills' was the highlight here with Fullbrook reminding me of Alela Diane but her tale of a Brazilian priest who disappeared after attaching himself to a host of helium balloons was a miniature gem of creative reportage with a gentle sting in its tale as she wondered whether he wanted to go to Heaven or just go out with a bang. Her almost husky voice was a delight carrying faint echoes of Karen Dalton.
Toronto folk rockers New Country Rehab bounced on next and from the start grabbed the audience by the collar and shook it around like a rag doll. Composed of four seasoned musicians who gathered together a year ago to record their debut album they straddle old time country and modern roots rock encompassing Hank Williams and Bruce Springsteen and all points in between. On their album they season their songs with studio effects at time approaching dub electronica. On stage singer and fiddle player John Showman and guitarist “Champagne” James Robertson used their effects pedals to full, eh, effect with Robertson in particular wringing a bewildering variety of sounds from his National Steel axe. Showman’s fiddle provided torrents of sound and at times I was reminded of the electronic wailing’s of East of Eden’s Dave Arbus (who provided the fiddle on The Who’s 'Who's Next' album). Behind the front men drummer Roman Tomé provided some fine vocals while he commanded his kit with a relaxed yet powerful pulse very much like John Convertino propelling Calexico. Double bassist Ben Whitely leered and lurched throughout as if he was having the time of his life.
While they played several songs from their album including 'Angel of Death' and 'The Last Hand', a tremendous tale of a gambling game gone horribly wrong they also juked up The grateful Dead’s 'Fire on The Mountain'. Given that they cover three Hank Williams’ songs on their disc they had to do one here. Surprisingly it wasn’t one of them. Instead they delivered a blistering piledriving version of 'Too Many Parties, Two Many Pals' that at times approached a Cramps like intensity. Overall a tremendous and raucous set.
Headliner CW Stoneking accompanied by his Primitive Horn Orchestra had the audience eating out of his hand. It’s bizarre to see and hear this tall thin white duke open his mouth and sound like a grizzled inmate of Parchman Farm. While ha and the band recreated a lost sepia toned New Orleans dive with parping horns and strutting banjo the primary delight was to hear him inhabit the persona of an old time colonial adventurer, a seafaring stranger, a teller of tall tales and friend of African Emperors. Like a bizarre mixture of Tom Waits, Baron Munchausen and Popeye Stoneking raised hoots of laughter with his straight faced introductions to a tremendous set of songs that oozed primordial blues blood. Despite the fine accompaniment of his band however my favourite was his solo rendition of Talking Lion Blues although the magisterial rendition of Brave Son of America ran a close second. By the time of the encore, Washboard Sam’s 'Oh Them Greens' the audience had all been transported to a South Seas plantation.