|
11 November 2010
Sitting in on a Cowboy Junkies’ gig is like peeking through the blinds of someone’s house to eavesdrop a private musical session. No glaring spotlights or histrionics - a vase of flowers the only on stage prop. But we were there to listen, absorb and be captivated, nonetheless.
Clearly, this was a very personal occasion for many of the hushed audience as the band delivered a delicious set with instrumentation plus Margo Timmins’ timeless vocals impeccable throughout. This was my first CJ show, but you don’t need to be a regular to work out that their songs are carefully crafted without ever sounding routine, polished and never dull. Far from it – this was sheer class.
The covers for example were simply staggering: the late Vic Chesnutt’s “Supernatural”, The Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile” and the mighty Neil Young’s “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” enjoyed superb outings that would have pleased their creators. The news that the band will be issuing a full CD of Chesnutt songs next year is a hugely appealing prospect.
With a career spanning over 25 years, countless albums and collaborations, the CJ’s certainly have no shortage of material to share. They blew through blistering versions of Hunted and Working On A Building while Lay It Down was gutsy and rowdy like a bar-room brawl. Hope aficionados don’t mind, but the gentle swagger reminded me of Richmond Fontaine and Son Volt with Dave Alvin on lead guitar at times. When the pace meandered into the acoustic Cutting Board, it was beautiful.
The pre-gig info, unfortunately, was a bit hit or miss. On our tickets it was indicated a support act was due on stage at 8 p.m. My big brother, Brian who is my regular gig-going companion, travelled 85 miles to attend so we were 15 minutes late getting there by which time the CJs were in full flow. Annoying, but not enough to take away from an excellent performance. No wonder they have won such long-standing admiration. I am happy to join in the applause, too.