Capercaille 30/11/13

I have seen Capercaille a lot over the years and they never disappoint. This was the 30 year anniversary tour and those decades of commitment with a relatively stable line-up show in a seamless and tight as a very-tight-thing sound. The tours are becoming more rootsy and most of the songs with vocals were in Gaelic but that doesn't detract as the emotion shines through channelled by Karen Matheson's exquisite voice. The penultimate song of the evening was a tale about a fisherman's wife lamenting her husband's behaviour and it had an amazing effect on me given that I didn't understand a word. As with the last tour the songs with vocals and the tunes get about equal air time and rightly so because the breadth and depth of musicianship is extraordinary. Michael McGoldrick is peerless on 'pipes and whistles' (including flute). Charlie McKerron is a classic fiddle player, solid and passionate in equal measure. Donald Shaw plays a beautiful accordian and a mean keyboards. Manus Lunny is subtle and interesting on guitar and bouzouki. The rhythym section fits perfectly and the whole is sweet as a nut. Apart from the song I mentioned there a couple of 'walking songs' that impressed plus anything that featured Michael or Charlie and in fact the whole gig which was a pretty flawless performance from start to finish. Roll on the next tour.

Manic Street Preachers 23/9/13

I was seriously irritated to find myself with a flat tyre and no spare on the way to the gig but somehow with the help of some gunge sprayed into the tyre we limped to the gig in time to catch the support act. And that was a good thing as they were outstanding. They are called Public Service Broadcasting and their schtick is to play along with black and white public information films, old news reports and similar VT running on a screen behind them whilst using sampled or entire soundtracks from same. One of the band is a very musical drummer and the other plays guitar, banjo and the various bits of electronica that make up the rest of the sound. It was an outstanding set and their CD (Inform, Educate, Entertain) is currently on full time in the car. One of the best tracks was called 'Spitfire' and featured audio from Leslie Howard and his film 'The First of the Few' with some great driving and urgent music behind it. The Manics came on to a roar of acclaim from the enthusiastic crowd. They went straight into the classic 'Motorcycle Emptiness' and it was all pretty outstanding from then on. The sound was not quite right at the start with the drums and bass somehow adding fuzz to the vocal but that got sorted out and there wasn't a foot wrong from then on. The last time I had seen them the conditions were awful so it was great to have a front row balcony seat and to be able to hear and see at close quarters how good the band are as musicians. James Dean Bradfield in particular is an outstanding guitarist (as well as having an amazingly expressive voice). He can lay down high tempo fills and riffs with the best of them and it was a joy to hear it. There was variation from pounding early stuff such as 'Revol', melodic songs such as 'You Stole the Sun from My Heart' and songs from the slower new album. There was a superb acoustic slot from James which featured 'This Sullen Welsh heart', 'The Everlasting' and a requested 'Tokyo Skyline' which he had never played live before and for which he had to spend some time sorting out the tuning. Early on they played '4 Lonely Roads' from the new album with guest vocalist Cate Le Bon - her voice a perfect foil to the backing music. Other highlights for me were all three acoustic tracks, 'If you tolerate this' on which JDB's voice expresses about three emotions at once brilliantly, 'Tsunami', 'It's Not War, Just the End of Love'. I could go on because every song was played with energy and joy and the set was a great combination of old and new until they finished 'Design for Life' and then just went off without a backward look. It was a superb gig from start to finish and worth all the tentative drive in and also the waiting around on the M4 hard shoulder on the way home as the tyre gave up the ghost about half way home. A 2am return from a gig - it's like being young again.

Leonard Cohen 3/9/13

The last time I saw Leonard Cohen was almost five years ago when he was a sprightly 74 years old. Five years on and he is still going strong and delivering superb gigs and this one clocked in at 3 hours and 20 minutes of actual stage time. He probably joins The Grateful Dead and Springsteen as the only acts I have seen delivering over 3 hours of music. The backing band was brilliant and while it is slightly invidious to pick out indivduals, Javier Mas on 12-string guitar and bandurria (another 12-string instrument), Alexandru Bublitchi on balkan-style violin and the backing vocalists of Sharon Robinson, Charley Webb and Hattie Webb were all outstanding musicians who I would go to see if they were headlining. The remainder of the band was great too and deserve to be named - Neil Larsen (keyboards),Rafael Gayol (drums),Mitch Watkins (guitar) and Roscoe Beck (bass). The set was not significantly different to the last time we saw him - some classics from the 60's and a good trawl through the back catalogue but who's complaining. The highlights for me are really those songs I particularly liked plus some of the contributions from the band members. On the latter point Javier Mas added some great song intros and short solo breaks in a spanish style on his various 12-string instruments and Alexandru evoked balkan violin whenever he got the spotlight. From the backing vocalists came a couple of the best moments. First Sharon Robinson took the lead for a song that brought the house down in the middle of the set. It was a powerful ballad, 'Alexandra Leaving' a Cohen song based on a Greek poem which was perfect for her voice and singing style. The Welsh audience who perhaps like a ballad more than most gave it an ovation. In the encore section the other two vocalists, Hattie and Charley Webb got their moment and sang a beautiful Cohen song that had the feel of an old English folk song - 'If it be thy will' accompanying themselves on harp and guitar. As far as the expected Cohen set list was concerned I loved 'Bird on a Wire', 'Everybody Knows', Tower of Song', 'Suzanne' and my particular favourite 'First We Take Manhattan' which he saved for the end of the first encore. Who can fail to respond as Cohen snarls the lines 'I don't like your fashion business mister, I don't like the drugs that keep you thin'. Other tracks that I particularly enjoyed were 'The Partisan' and the final song of the evening 'I Can't Forget'. I doubt that he will still be touring in another five years but if he is I might just take a gig in.

Robert Plant 29/8/13

It was unfortunate to have this gig sitting in the balcony the day after the superlative David Byrne/St Vincent gig front row central as anything would suffer by comparison. Robert Plant to his credit is always changing the musical offering and this is the fourth time we have seen him in recent years. On this occasion the band included Justin Adams on guitar and Juldeh Camara on riti and last time we saw him they were the support band so he must have liked what he heard. The support act here were 'The Wild Flowers' who had some nice songs which appeared to have been mostly written by the lead vocalist. I felt that her voice was a bit harsh and not up to the level of the songs but overall it was a pleasant enough band who were obviously enjoying the gig themselves. Robert Plant came on with two guitarists, Justin Adams and Liam Tyson and the usual set up of bass, drums and keyboards. From the start the feeling was 70s blues/rock and Justin Adams surprised me as he was fully in the dynamic-rock-guitarist mode whereas I have seen him previously mostly in world music mode. Having said that the songs chosen included some classic blues numbers and one of the highlights was early on when they did 'Spoonful'. Juldeh Camara came on a towards the end of the track and the vibe altered when he was in the band although his presence on stage was sporadic throughout the gig. The magic he can conjure up on a one-stringed instrument always amazes me and I never tire of hearing him play. Perhaps the best track of the night was another old blues song by Bukka White, 'Fixin' to Die' on which the guitar of Justin Adams was exceptional. So the gig consisted of a mixture of blues tracks, african-influenced tracks and old Led Zep or Robert Plant solo tracks. On the night I preferred the first two elements but it was all done very well as Robert Plant is a fine vocalist and all the band were up to the job. I might have had more to say and appreciated the gig more if 'Wild Wild Life' was not still running through my head from the David Byrne gig the day before.

David Byrne/St Vincent 28/8/13

I did expect David Byrne's latest collaborator to be off-the-wall - it would be surprising if it was otherwise. I wasn't however expecting St Vincent (aka Annie Clark) to be channelling the demented robot from Metropolis. However it was entertaining and she has a great voice and plays an interesting guitar which is quite staccato and electronic but done without being at all screechy. David Byrne is always completely barking and that is also very entertaining but even if it wasn't, his huge musical talent would allow him to get away with whatever stage presence he decides to adopt. The band was extraordinary and I would have to say I have never seen a line-up that comes anywhere near it in terms of the particular mix of instruments. David played some (but not enough) rhythm guitar and St Vincent played the lead guitar role. There was a drummer and a keyboards player - so far so normal. The other eight members of the band all played brass instruments. A typical track might include a Sousaphone, two French Horns, two Trombones , two Saxaphones and a Trumpet. Add to this mix the choreographed moves of the band that accompanied every song and you have an original stage presence. What was incredible from the music perspective was not that the band played a fitting backing for the new album which featured songs written with that line-up in mind but how well they played old Talking Heads covers, all of which sounded fresh and brilliant. I have to say at this point that 'Wild, Wild Life' was stupendous, possibly live track of the year, even in a year that featured a classic Neil Young gig. Back to the start of the gig - there was no support act as such but a forest soundscape played featuring birds and insects. At about the time the gig was due to start there was an announcement by David Byrne from offstage that recording of the gig was allowed but that he hoped people would enjoy the gig directly with their brain rather than via a gadget. Thereafter as people were anticipating an immediate start to the show there was a further ten minutes of soundscape featuring a rainstorm that gradually faded back to birdsong. Then came the band who began with the addictive 'Who' from the new album and followed it with 'Weekend in the Dust'. The whole package just worked straight from the get go. The songs, the band , the vocals - as ever with a David Byrne show everything was planned and precise and musically outstanding. St Vincent was a great collaborator; she has a compelling voice and singing style and plays a wierd guitar style that is both raunchy and soothing at the same time. The next track was one of her songs before the brilliant and atmospheric 'Strange Undertones' from his last solo album. The gig continued with a blend of songs from the new album, St Vincent songs, David Byrne solo album songs and Talking Heads covers all combined in a compelling and flawless set. Highlights from the main set for me were 'This Must be the Place', 'The Forest Awakes', 'Cheerleader', 'Outside of Space and Time' and as mentioned before the utterly perfect 'Wild Wild Life'. The encores included 'Burning Down the House' and 'Road to Nowhere' and encores don't get much better than that. Definite candidate for gig of the year.

Lisbee Stainton 1/8/2013

We thought we ought to take in at least one of the Monmouth Festival gigs and so we went to see Lisbee Stainton, a local singer songwriter who was the support act for the Thursday show. She had a guitarist and a drummer and a set of interesting songs and it was a nice enough set. I particularly liked a new track called 'Eloise' (no not the Paul and Barry Ryan song for those over a certain age)and preferred the more recent stuff to some of the earlier songs but all the songs held some interest. The singing was strong and committed and the band were good. All in all a nice evening in the sunshine right by the River Monnow.

Lucinda Williams 29/6/2013

Last time I saw Lucinda Williams a few years ago the circumstances were unfavourable but despite that the gig was good enough for me to want to catch her again and a gig at a South Wales small town theatre looked a good bet. The venue turned out to be very nice and the crowd were in tune with the ethos of her blue-collar roots. The support was the now-usual singer songwriter. He was called Jimmy Livingstone and he was quite personable and I liked his last track which had a lot of energy but other than that he was OK but not particularly to my taste. Lucinda came on with Doug Pettibone on guitar and was joined after a track by bassist David Sutton. Straight away I remembered the powerrful directness of her vocals; you wonder how the voicebox copes as she gives it welly on every song. She kicked off with 'Passionate Kisses' and followed up with one of my favourites 'Metal Firecracker'. In fact the whole set is composed of good or very good songs because she is an outstanding songwriter and while I can pick out a few of my particular favourites there wasn't a weak song at any point. If I was being particularly critical I might have preferred 'Car Wheels..' to be delivered in a slower more downbeat style but that is nitpicking. Doug Pettibone came more and more to the front as the set went on and his guitar playing was outstanding. In fact right after 'Car Weels..' he played two exquisite solos on 'Pineola', perfectly attuned to this poignant song. One of the highlights for me, as was 'Lake Charles' shortly after, another song about death, but hey, this is country music. 'Jail House Tears' upped the tempo somewhat and was another outstanding track and not long after there was perhaps the best song of the night, a Skip James cover, 'Hard Times Killin' Floor Blues' with some superb guitar from Doug Pettibone. For a gig that featured just a couple of covers, 'Factory' in the encore was another great moment. I guess if you are a great songwriter then any cover you do is going to be a special song. I'm delighted I got to see Lucinda Williams again and in much better circumstances than last time. Roll on the next tour I say.

Steve Winwood - 22/6/2013

Although Steve Winwood is mainly known for his keyboards and his vocals, I rate him as one of my favourite guitarists, and so I noted that I had seen four gigs in May and June featuring four of my favourite guitarists and with an average age of about 65! Of the four gigs this was perhaps the least surprising being somewhat similar to Steve Winwood gigs I have seen in recent years. It did have some great highlights, mainly when Steve was on guitar which was basically three songs plus one on mandolin. There was a great version of 'Can't Find My Way Home' and of course 'Dear Mr Fantasy' featured in the encore as usual. I also loved 'Fly' early on in the set. It would be churlish to criticise as the band were good - better for the fact that the lead guitarist Jose Netto seems more integrated into the group sound these days - but perhaps there was a spark missing. These guys have been touring this show for a while, a mixture of Spencer Davis, Traffic, Blind Faith tracks with a few more recent songs thrown in. I wanted to hear some more of the extensive Winwood solo catalogue although we did have 'Back in the High Life Again' and the obligatory 'Higher love' which I guess is the most well known of his later work. A nice gig as you might assume with Steve's incomparable vocals and general musicianship. The band were also tight. I am also always impressed by the way Winwood plays the bass line with his left foot while playing on two keyboards and singing at the same time. Nonetheless I shall be expecting a different set next time. The support was a singer songwriter called Joe Summers. He was interesting and pleasant enough.

Neil Young 11/6/2013

Crazy Horse with Neil Young are a machine. A powerful unstoppable machine which can only come from decades of playing together. For a lot of the gig they stood on the huge NEC stage surrounded by large props but standing so close together they could have been in your lounge and that just emphasized how tight they are yet completely relaxed into the music. Of course front and central is Neil Young's amazing grungy guitar voice and that was what he was at Birmingham to play. First off we had Los Lobos who played a longish set for a support band of around 50 minutes. It was pleasant and professional enough and showed some wide ranging musical influences. The set list included songs in Spanish, an Allman Bros track, blues, swing and rock and roll. They were all good musicians but the drummer was outstanding, beat perfect all the way through. Respect to them that they did not include 'La Bamba' in their set. The Crazy Horse gig started with an extended piece of business involving roadies dressed as lab scientists and construction workers and then a playing of the National Anthem before they kicked off with 'Love to Burn' followed by 'Surfer Joe and Moe the Sleeze'. Immediately the vibe of the evening of extended tracks of guitar music was evident. Perfection; but not everyone in the audience was happy. A couple of tracks of the new album followed, 'Psychedelic Pill' and 'Walk Like a Giant'. The gig was really motoring by this time with Neil getting ever more expressive on guitar; four songs in and more than 45 minutes on the clock by the time the extended coda on 'Walk Like a Giant' had finished. The show transitioned into a solo acoustic section after a quieter song I hadn't heard before, 'Hole in the Sky', and Neil then did 'Heart of Gold' and 'Blowin' in the Wind'. The mouth harp on 'Heart of Gold' was delectable and the last track in thsi part 'A singer without a song' with Neil on piano was also superb but overall I think he and the band relaxed back into the previous mode with a better feel as Crazy Horse songs resumed with 'Ramamda Inn' off the new album. This was one of the highlights of the gig for me. The band was tight as a nut and Neil's guitar screeched to perfection through this long reflective song. Next up were old favourites 'Cinamon Girl' and a long playful 'Fucking Up' before the band in response to a request threw in 'Cortez the Killer'. This is a magnificent song and with this band on this form it was a privilege to be there. The main set was wrapped up with 'Mr Soul' and 'Hey, Hey (Into the Black)'. The encore was possibly the best bit - I was wondering why he hadn't played 'Powderfinger' but the truth was he was saving it for the encore. One wonders if they will tour again - both Young and Sampedro had their wrists strapped - and if that is the last track I hear Neil Young and this band play then that is a perfect finish. The guitar was immense; it is a, possibly the, classic Neil Young and Crazy Horse song and it was a great finish to a great gig.

Mark Knopfler 30/5/2013

Another week, another Albert Hall gig and also another excellent support act. This time it was Ruth Moody, a member of the Wailin' Jennys, singing folky songs to great effect. The voice is pure and strong, the songs were heartfelt and the band were good. Mark Knopfler came on as part of a superb band that included John McCusker and Phil McGoldrick mainly on celtic type instruments (pipes, whistles, fiddle), the usual crew of Richard Bennett and Guy Fletcher, a rhythm section of Glenn Worf and Ian Thomas and the superb Jim Cox on piano. He was also joined on stage by Ruth Moody for a few tracks early on and then later by Nigel Hitchcock on sax for three songs. Now that is a band. Mark Knopfler is someone who just a natural on guitar, often expressive when starting or finishing songs or even tuning. The whole set was quality from the opening bars of 'What it is' and onto the rocking riff from 'Cornbread City' and then the folky 'Privateering'. And so on for nearly two and a half hours without a dud track in there. As recorded tracks I particularly like 'Hill Farmers Blues' and 'Seattle' but the live highlights for me at this gig were 'I Dug a diamond' with Ruth Moody on backing vocals and a fabulous version of 'Marbletown' with an extended instrumental break featuring John McCusker and Glenn Worf. Throughout Mark changed guitars purposefully and the band changed instruments and each track was arranged to perfection. If I had to pick a criticism then I would say that MK's voice is ageing but it would be churlish to nitpick. The 'Dire Straits' stuff was also done brilliantly with Mark revelling in the band as he ripped through 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Telegraph Road' and 'So far away from me'. The encore was a beautiful version of 'Our Shangri-la' followed by the theme from 'Local Hero'. All done - when can I repeat?

Eric Clapton 21/5/2013

This was the annual (actually the last one was 2011) Clapton bash at the Albert Hall and I approached it with a little less enthusiasm than normal. The set list from earlier gigs on the tour seemed little changed from gigs over the last few years and it was a long trip to London from Wales. However the first pleasant surprise was the support act, Gary Clark Junior. He played a mean blues guitar with other influences thrown into the mix. It is always a good sign when a guitar player reminds you of a range of other players and he had hints of Hendrix, John Fogerty, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Chuck Berry intruding into a basic chicago blues sound. His first track was 10 or 11 minutes long and he played with confidence and panache for around 45 minutes. Clapton came on as part of a 9-piece band, two other guitarists, two keyboards, a rhythm section and two backing singers. The main changes from previous band members were that Greg Leisz was on pedal steel guitar and mandolin, Paul Carrack was on organ and vocals and Steve Jordan was on drums. They were all excellent - Paul Carrack took some of the vocal strain from Clapton and Greg played a beautiful and measured pedal steel. Steve Jordan was an energetic and precise drummer and was one of the reasons that the band had an authentic 70s live feel for the few Derek and the Dominoes tracks they played. He just seemed to drive a similar rhythm to that band. The others were stalwarts of previous Clapton bands and it is always a joy to see Doyle Bramhall and Chris Stainton both very talented musicians with individual styles. The opening tracks were nothing special but third track in was 'Tell the Truth' done in authentic Derek and the Dominoes' style with Doyle Bramhall contributing the Duane Allman slide to great effect. This was followed by a rocking version of 'Gotta Get Over' one of the best tracks of the new album, a track that featured some great steel guitar from Greg Liesz called 'Black Cat Bone' and then a return to 70s Dominoes with 'Got to get better in a little while'. The acoustic interlude began with EC's usual masterclass in acoustic playing that is 'Driftin' Blues' and whilst the 'Layla' version which ended the acoustic part was a little desultory I think we can forgive that little lapse. I'll pass swiftly over 'Wonderful Tonight' which seems to be an audience favourite onto the highlight of the evening for me, a powerful blast of 'Bluespower'. Derek lives. 'Bluespower' was the start of the typical Clapton barnstorming finish. Next up was 'Love in Vain' and then a super version of 'Crossroads'. Onward and upward to 'Little Queen of Spades' with brilliant solos from Chris Stainton and then Doyle Bramhall which made sure that Clapton gave it his all when it was his turn. 'Cocaine' finished the main part of the show and the encore gave us a final breathless couple of tracks, 'Sunshine of Your Love' and 'High Time We went'. A cracking Clapton show and the journey back to Wales flew by.

Low 24/4/2013

For a laid back band Low do a pretty exciting gig. Alan Sparhawk's guitar really takes off live, the fuzziness and volume changes add an edge when you can feel the vibration as well as hear it and Mimi Parker's voice comes across as powerful and pure and immediate. I saw them on spec in 2010 and was glad to have the opportunity to see them again particularly as they are touring the excellent recent album 'The Invisible Way'. The support was a guy playing under the name Hebronix who was strangely diffident for a live performer. The performance involved lots of loops mainly from his guitar but also drum and keyboard loops. I am not a big fan of loops. Low kicked off with four tracks from the new album and they were immediately in the vibe. The guitar on 'On My Own' which was edgy and exciting and the vocals on 'Holy Ghost' and 'Clarence White'showed how good these two singers are both alone and with their perfect harmonisation. The third member of the band on bass or keyboards was Steve Garrington who fitted right in to the unique Low sound. Next up was a super version of 'Monkey' from 'The Great Destroyer'with a menacing riff, spare and urgent from Alan Sparhawk's guitar. After that there was a couple more tracks from the album including a powerful vocal from Mimi on 'So Blue'. A particular highlight for me was 'Especially Me' just because I love that song but even more riveting was the final song before the encore, 'On its Knees'. This is a short and sweet diamond of a track and a great way to end the main set. The encore started with 'When I go Deaf', a chance for some more trademark fuzzy guitar and the gig finished with a song I had not heard before 'I Hear...Good Night' a song from a collaboration with 'The Dirty Three' some time back. This gig was a lot of effort because of geographical circumstances but most definitely worth it. An exciting hour and a half with a musicians who through their voices and in particular the harmonisation of their voices as well as Alan Sparhawks trademark guitar produce an addictive live presence. Of course at the base of it is the songwriting which was what originally drew me to go and see them live a few years ago. It is dark and brooding at times but the songs are always interesting and thought provoking.

My Bloody Valentine 13/3/2013

I was tempted to go to London for this gig because mbv are a unique band and because the gig was at my favourite venue - The Hammersmith Odeon (aka Apollo). The support were 'Le Volume Courbe' who had two good things about them, their name and the violin playing which was pretty other-worldly. Other than that they seemed a bit overwhelmed by the venue and the audience still taking their seats and moving around. It was OK but not exciting. MBV came on after a long interval and launched straight into a couple of classics from 'Loveless' 'I only said' and 'When you sleep'. It is actually thrilling to hear the extraordinary, snarling, dissonant and beautiful wall of noise that is created onstage by MBV. I was struck on the connection to Phil Spector - another of my favourites. The concept of a wall of sound is the same. The difference are in how it is constructed and also on the relation of the vocals to the sound. With Spector the wall of sound was downplayed and contrasted with the loud and upfront vocal. It served to feature the vocal. With MBV the vocal is downplayed and supports the guitar cacophony. Live it is sometimes difficult to even hear the vocal and it serves as a ghostly but important part of the sound mix. Most of the songs played in the 100 minutes or so they were onstage were old tracks from 'Loveless' or that era at least. There were just a few tracks from the new album. One of the highlights was about half an hour in when they played the brilliant 'Only Tomorrow' from the album. It starts as four rhythmically raucous guitars underpinned by Colm O'Ciosoig's assertive and driving drums. Out of this maelstrom of noise emerges the ethereal guitar riff that defines the track for me. Another highlight was 'Only Shallow' just because it is a favourite track of mine but actually the gig was a tour-de-force from start to finish, the songs following each other with barely a pause, a relentless, high-volume barrage of beautiful music. The volume ratcheted up to 11 for 'You Made Me Realise' more than 10 minutes of white noise subtley enhanced with furious strumming from Kevin Shields at higher and higher frequencies. Those who had not yet installed their free ear plugs rapidly did so or in some cases left. But there was a further track to follow - the amazing 'Wonder 2' off the new album with Colm on guitar rather than drums. Once that was done the band were off, job done, no encore. There is no one else like MBV.

Clannad 10/3/2013

Brian Kennedy was the support act. I had never heard of him although he has had a long career and I must have seen him at some point when he was in Van Morrison's band. He seemed a lttle nervous and the sound was a bit harsh at first but he sang a lament about four tracks in and that worked and the last acapello track was also good and showed that he is an accomplished singer. Clannad came on as a seven piece with the five original members augmented by a drummer (Jed Lynch) and a keyboards player (Ian Parker). From the start the major impression was of the vocal soundscape created by Clannad, Moya Brennan's classic Irish folk voice mostly in the lead and the four male voices mostly harmonising and backing her. But it was a lot more than that as they were all good instrumentalists as were the two additional members of the touring band. I particularly liked Jed Lynch's driving but sensitive drumming, Ciaran Brennan's bass (and keyboards)and Moya's Irish harp playing. In fact one of the highlights for me was a harp tune from the 18th Century which morphed into a slip jig and much of the set was either traditional or at least traditional in feel. Clannad do have a fusion vibe about them though on top of this deeply gaelic feel. That is why they get picked for film and TV music I guess. On that front the song 'I will find you' from 'Last of the Mohicans' was a powerful, atmospheric piece (as indeed it is in the film). Other highlights for me were a song about some ancient constructions in Ireland and pretty much anything written or arranged by Ciaran including an arrangement of an old song featuring seaweed. I also enjoyed the more poppy 'Closer to your heart' and also 'In a Lifetime' with Brian Kennedy reprising the Bono vocal. In fact I enjoyed the whole gig immensely. This was a band drawing on a rich musical tradition, doing it with professionalism and feeling and adding something modern to it as well.

Gretchen Peters 5/3/2013

The support act was an excellent singer/songwriter from Antrim called Ben Glover who kicked off with a great song 'You and I' and gave the delivery some welly. He pretty much maintained that high level of quality throughout his 30-minute set with a strong singing style and thoughtful songs. Gretschen Peters was leading a three piece band with hubby Barry Walsh on piano and accordion and Christine Bougie on guitars and percussion. She started with 'Woman on the Wheel' from the new album and played a lot of songs from the album including the superb 'Idlewild' and 'Five Minutes' which came later on in the set. Throughout her singing was strong but also varied in style and tone depending on the particular song which is a difficult skill. She brought Ben Glover back on for a rousing version of 'Grievous Angel' which was one of the high spots for me. I also loved a new song to me 'England Blues' which was done as a high energy track near the end and by the end of the song Barry Walsh was standing up and banging the piano keys in a Chris-Staintonesque style. The closing song of the encore was another brilliant cover to follow 'Grievous Angel' earlier. The band did a lovely version of 'Wild Horses' with haunting vocals from Gretschen and perfect support from the band and Ben again on vocals. A super gig in a nice venue. I'm looking forward to her next tour already.

Richard Thompson 21/2/2013

With Richard Thompson you always get impeccable guitar playing. This tour it was largely electric and rocky with just a few acoustic tracks included. The band was a pared down three piece with a superb drummer (Michael Jerome)who drove the sound relentlessly but with great subtlety. The trio looked like they were enjoying themselves (Bassist – Tara Produniok) and handled the usual Richard Thompson set changes based on audience requests with panache. They started with three numbers of the new album, the last and slower of the three being the atmospheric ‘Salford Sunday’ which is still echoing around in my head. After some more recentish tracks including a lively version of ‘Haul Me Up’ he played a brilliant version of ‘Can’t win’ with the last extended and belted out vocal chorus followed by some blistering guitar. It’s a bit unfair to pick highlights as the musicianship of the trio stood out on every song but if I were to then that would be pretty much top of the list. Also pretty close for me was ‘Did she jump or was she pushed?’ and ‘For the shame of doing wrong’ as well as a moving acoustic version of ‘From Galway to Graceland’ which came in the encore. The final track was ‘tear-stained letter’ another classic from the Thompson back catalogue – again played with verve and feeling . It’s always worth going to see Richard Thompson – a very fine guitarist who can do all styles and moods and somehow is slightly under the radar, perhaps because of his folky roots. When the band is as tight and dynamic as this trio then it’s a must see.