Part 1 - 17 April (Turks Head, Twickenham) to 22 Apr (Glasgow)
Part 2 - 24 April (Robin 2, Bilston) to 6 May (Burgess Hill)
Part 3 - from 8 May (Belfast) to the end of the tour
Heavy Disguise (replaces John's "Together Apart" as of Burgess Hill) Just Say No
The Ten Commandments
The Winter And The Summer
Benedictus
Witchwood
The Flower And The Young Man
The Man Who Called Himself Jesus
A Glimpse Of Heaven
Turn Me Round
Tears And Pavan
New World
Out In The Cold/Round And Round
Josephine For Better Or For Worse (omitted at Bilston, seems to have been replaced by Simple Visions)
Ghosts
Remembering/You And I (When We Were Young)
Heartbreaker
Simple Visions
Lay Down
Part Of The Union
The River/Down By The Sea
Will Ye Go (special request at Bilston only)
Hero And Heroine
MARTLETS HALL, BURGESS HILL, 6 MAY 2001
I saw Strawbs on Sunday at Burgess Hill, and thought I would put fingers to keyboard to thank the band for a brilliant performance, as ever. I'm afraid I couldn't list the running order apart from the first few songs - I always become so engrossed in Strawbs' music that I wouldn't even notice if the theatre was burning down around me, let alone be capable of organising pen and paper, cameras etc. like some fans do. For me such tasks would destroy the magic of the spell that is a Strawbs gig, and I am grateful to those more organised beings (hi Dick et al) who are able to do so without detracting from their enjoyment of the music being played.
Anyway, John Ford started off with the classic "Heavy Disguise", which was excellently sung as always and well appreciated by the capacity (I think) audience. However, I was disappointed that the inclusion of "Heavy Disguise" meant the omission of John's new song, "Together Apart" which I heard last week at the Stables, Wavendon. I thought it was a great song, and hope it will be played some more during the tour, or maybe become available if John records it some time. (Who was it who said "You can't please all of the people all of the time.. etc."?). Both John Ford's solo albums are full of a variety of interesting songs and he seems to be writing prolifically these days, so maybe a third will be on the way including this song.
Next was Hud's "Just Say No", which Hud was quick to point out has a controversial content (if you care strongly about the potential hazards or otherwise of Britain joining the Euro, that is). What this song undeniably is, is extremely catchy, with singalong chorus etc. I know this well - since I gave my kids a copy last week they have played it non-stop and know all the words off by heart. Hud could well be onto a winner here, and I certainly wish him success (what musician wouldn't like a bit of commercial success now and again?).
Dave Lambert followed with his new song "Ten Commandments", which is a blues-style song with contemporary lyrics. Dave's voice sounded terrific, as do all the band's voices, which I find incredible after all these years. I'd like to know whether the haunting "Live Inside Your Hell Tonight", which Dave sang on the last tour, is going to be recorded some time - hope so. Brian Willoughby accompanied Dave Lambert on "Ten Commandments" and as usual played impeccable guitar, which complemented the song perfectly. I think "Winter and the Summer" was next, but by then I was losing myself - was it "Benedictus" then "Flower and the Young Man"? I really don't care about the running order, it was all totally brilliant. "Witchwood" was in there somewhere, which my partner told me was his favourite song of the evening. Incidentally we had friends with us who have lived almost their entire lives in complete ignorance of Strawbs' existence - my poor, sad friend Sandra was a Donny Osmond fan in her youth (no, I didn't know her then) but I dragged her to a Strawbs gig last year and she enjoyed it so much she forced her other half along on Sunday - he was a firm Marc Bolan fan, but was coming round to giving Strawbs more than the odd compliment by the end of the evening. (Not very happy that the bar was shut after the gig though).
Throughout the gig Blue Weaver played keyboards beautifully which could be heard well in the mix, the rhythm section was tight and the guitar sounds were awe-inspiring. Loads of my favourite Strawbs songs were played - "Ghosts" (always SO atmospheric), "Tears and Pavan", "Simple Visions" (always one of my real favourites - I used to love it when this song started off Strawbs' gigs, "Out in the Cold/Round and Round" (fantastic memories of Chas Cronk, John Hawken and Rod Coombes bathed in dramatic lighting effects on this one - I loved the green lights which used to whirl around the theatre during "Round and Round".
There aren't many superlatives that can be used to describe "The River/Down by the Sea" which haven't already been done to death, so I won't bother. If you haven't got the message about how brilliantly this works, there really isn't much hope.
Who've I left out? Oh yeah, Dave Cousins. He was obviously suffering from some kind of cold and unfortunately his usual banter and repartee was a bit thin on the ground, which was a pity because on a good night when he's in full flow he is pure magic to listen to. Never mind, he was saving his voice for the songs; it held out well and he managed (admirably) to complete the full set plus encore.
By the way, on the dancing issue, my extremely long time friend Christine and I danced at the Chiswick gig. I couldn't tell you which songs we danced to (in a complete daze again of course) but I know I was going to explode if I didn't get up and move about a bit. I was vaguely aware of mutterings round and about, which made me want to grab Christine and jump into the pond for a display of synchronised swimming or something, but we didn't (I think I'd remember that).
On a completely different note, I am astonished by a few of the comments relating to personal appearances of the guys in Strawbs. It seems very strange to me that whenever female Strawbs fans make personal comments, as several have done recently, they are full of compliments for the way the guys look these days, and an extremely SMALL minority of males (get what I'm saying here) seem to be racking their TINY brains to find ways to make digs at them. Have you looked at the average male of a certain age walking down your local High Street lately (or in the bar at Strawbs gigs come to that)? I rest my case. ALL the guys in Strawbs are looking great and wearing extremely well, certainly from the female perspective. I think there must be the odd LITTLE green-eyed monster lurking out there in the Witchwood - can't you handle the guys in the band having all that abundance of musical talent AND still looking good? We females on the other hand wouldn't know how to be bitchy even if we wanted to.......but have you seen the state of Posh Spice lately? How can Becks even bear to LOOK at her.....
REGAL CENTRE, WORKSOP, 4 MAY 2001 AND MARTLETS HALL, BURGESS HILL, 6 MAY 2001
Caught these two venues in the middle section of the tour after Southampton and Exeter at the start. Slight change in the running order with, "The River/Down By The Sea" now providing the finish to the second set and overall I feel this has really been a change for the better. Hud and John also opened the first set with "Heavy Disguise" in place of "Together Apart" at Burgess Hill. John had to rush off set between the two opening numbers as the change in running order caught him out and he came on without his capo, only to return rather breathless and thankful that he did not have to do the lead vocal for the next number.
The crowd at Worksop was small but enthusiastic, but at Burgess Hill there was not a seat to be found. Dave C's well documented cold was, still, just a little in evidence at both venues, but this did not detract from the power and aggression in his vocal performance.
For me the striking difference between these two dates and earlier in the tour was how much more balanced the sound had become, allowing Blue's keyboards to become much more pronounced and to the fore in the overall sound. A real plus factor.
Had the real pleasure of being introduced to stateside fan Bobby Williams by Dave C at Worksop. Bobby called on me just before leaving for the airport to confirm with excitement, that there really are pebbles on the beach at Branscombe !
It is not very often that fans reviews carry an advert, but this is an exception. Look out for the may issue of The Classic Rock Society journal "Wondrous Stories" (available at concerts). It carries a free Strawbs C D with a delightful running order and some unreleased material. In Dave C's own words " it is the best £3-50 you can ever spend ". Naturally, I had already succumbed and not even a gentle arm twist was needed. Make sure you get your copy, you will not be disappointed.
Back to the musical review and after two great shows picking out something special is so very hard. But pick something I will and, although I have seen many performances of "New World", over more years than I care to remember, this number at Burgess Hill was truly stunning. There was passion and aggression in abundance through the whole band with this song and it stood out as exceptional song and a major memory from the night. The band just seem to get better. Roll on Bloomsbury.
REGAL CENTRE, WORKSOP, 4 MAY 2001
A class gig indeed, with Dave Cousins battling through his heavy cold to produce an almost virtuoso performance for the Worksop audience - they were a bit thin on the ground given the size of the theatre but exuberant nevertheless. A few familiar faces from earlier in the tour getting their last but one Midlands Strawbs fix.
Of particular note, a splendid rendering of "The Flower And The Young Man", before which Dave explained that the song was written, around the same time as "Dragonfly", about a special person in his life, a girl from Gothenburg. During the intro to "Jesus" Dave commented that not only had the song brought about a meeting with legendary Goon Spike Milligan, but also, at the behest of a TV producer, an afternoon spent walking around Soho in the company of Quentin Crisp!! Get you!
VARIETIES THEATRE, LEEDS, 3 MAY 2001
I just got back from the Leeds gig and, having received a word of two of encouragement from Dick Greener, am hitting the keyboard fast. I heard Dick say it was one of the best Strawbs concerts he'd ever seen and that doesn't surprise me. I'd have liked to hear the vocals more clearly on "The Man Who Called Himself Jesus" and "Turn Me Round" but apart from that minor gripe I have no complaints performance-wise. Best bits for me were "New World" (sounding massively better than last year - was it just the echo that did it?? - and quite probably the best live version I've heard, though I can't in all truth remember well enough back to 1972 to say for certain! At any rate, I wanted to hear it again as soon as it had finished), "You And I When We Were Young" (with associated eloquent guitar work from Dave Lambert), and (as last year) "Out In The Cold/Round And Round", which just works *so* well live, as does "Tears And Pavan", the latter not one of my most favourite Strawbs album tracks but delightful on stage tonight. If I could have dragged a couple of non-Strawbs fans in off the street for twenty minutes, I'd have wanted them to hear "Tears And Pavan" and "Out In The Cold/Round And Round" and then said "So there!"
It's a wonder really it sounded so good because Dave Cousins had the most dreadful cough and kept having to turn away from the mike or retreat to the back of the stage for a while to cough up his guts before continuing. It's a mark of what a professional he is that the illness didn't noticeably affect his musical performance at all - not even his vocals. There wasn't quite the same relaxed banter with the audience there had been last year but who could blame him under the circumstances? He said he'd had the cough for several days and had spent the afternoon in bed but it didn't seem to have helped. I shall try to send some healing vibes his way for the rest of the tour. ("I'd better introduce the band while I can still talk," he told the audience. "While you're still alive, you mean," said Lambert. "Sarcastic bugger," said Cousins.)
As for dragging people in off the street, that would been useful because audience numbers were very disappointing, though this was hardly surprising given the almost total lack of local publicity, the tour having been fixed up too late to make the City Varieties programme book. I think I can honestly say I have never clapped and whooped and called for "More!" so much in my life - partly because I wanted to but also because I wanted to make enough noise for all the people who weren't there. It seemed to me that a lot of the audience may not have been familiar with the Ghosts album because "Ghosts" itself and "You And I When We Were Young" didn't seem to get the level of response they deserved. Stuff from the earlier albums got much more fitting applause, however, particularly the numbers I mentioned earlier: "Tears & Pavan" and "Out In The Cold/Round And Round" - plenty of whoops and shouts. It seemed a pity that the band were putting in so much work for so few people - and I hope the poor attendance won't stop them coming here another time. There was quite a respectable (and very enthusiastic) audience last year.
Reading through that last paragraph, I find myself reflecting that the audience numbers may actually have bothered me more than they bothered the band. They all looked happy enough at the end, anyway, beaming and standing together on the edge of the stage as though they were posing for a photograph, while we all made as much noise as our numbers allowed.
It was nice to meet Dick and Bobby and Alison from Witchwood, and also Steve, who isn't in Witchwood I don't think but who, like Bobby, is over from the States. After all the discussion here about how to spot fellow Witchwooders, I have to report that I managed to spot Bobby early on. We passed him as we were coming in off the street and he was taking a photograph of the theatre. "Now *there's* a fellow enthusiast!" I said to my wife. (An interesting observation of Bobby's is that "there are a lot of people called Dave here in England". Looking through the Strawbs line-up, I guess he might have a point!)
Right - I'm going off to bed now and have a listen to my Classic Rock Society Strawbs CD, which I purchased tonight. It's good to have some music to take home with you from a concert! Last year it was Live At Chiswick. This year it looks like a real bargain at £3-50 - and an interview with Dave Cousins to read as well.
Well - what a trooper! In spite of looking about ready to drop, Dave put in a spot-on vocal performance last night. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I think my partner summed it up on the way out: 'I was worried that it may have been a let-down after their last visit ... but it wasn't'. Lovely to hear "The Flower And The Young Man"- possibly the highlight, along with "The Winter And The Summer", from the first set. As for the second - couldn't fault it. "Ghosts" was wonderfully dark, and all the "Hero And Heroine" material (OK, it's probably my favourite album to begin with) came over with customary power (how about "Autumn" some time?).
Naturally, the journey home was peppered with idle speculation ... wouldn't a couple of full-on electric Hudson/Ford tracks be nice (my vote's for "Dark Lord" and "Such a Day")? or how about a Lambert/Hudson/Ford power-trio ... cos, let's face it, they ROCK!
Only slight downer, of course, was the poor turn-out (not sure the venue's advertising had been up to much), but it didn't diminish the band's performance or our enjoyment. Hope to see them again soon ... somewhere we can get up for a bit of a head-bang! (and surely one day Fairport will get them along for Cropredy???)
Leeds was my third and final concert of the tour - a round trip of about 140 miles. Another new venue for me and the hassle of finding a good place to park in a strange city centre with a notorious one-way system - I arrived with 15 minutes to spare.
The theatre was a lot smaller than I anticipated and the decor had obviously seen better days (it used to look so big and grand on the "Good Old Days" and the seat was the most uncomfortable that I have ever sat on. Everything else was fantastic, apart from worrying whether Dave Cousins's cough would get so bad he might not be able to carry on. "Ghosts" was outstanding and there is no doubt that the versions of "New World" and "Lay Down" on this tour are the best I have ever heard them played live. "Simple Visions" seems to have left an indelible mark on my brain as it has been running round in my head since the Whitehaven gig and continues to do so. Maybe "Part of the Union" or "Lay Down" should be moved much earlier in the set as this was the only time the people sat around me seemed to move and get involved apart from applauding in between songs! "The River"/"Down by the Sea" is a tremendous way to finish off and I clapped, shouted, stamped, whistled for more after it.
One of the things I have enjoyed most about this tour is meeting other fans who feel as passionate about the Strawbs music as I do and this time it was nice to meet Simon and Bobby (again) and Steve from the States. A big thank you Bobby for parking in an adjacent car park and walking across the city centre with me after the gig - a true gentleman.
Since I got home, I have felt totally euphoric and inspired (watch out, I'm gonna learn the guitar!) - I hope this feeling lasts as long as the memories of three wonderful concerts.
NEPTUNE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL, 2 MAY 2001
The enthusiastic Neptune Theatre audience was nearly treated to an impromptu unamplified verson of "The Hangman And The Papist" last night, when towards the end of "Simple Visions" there was a bang and the power went off on the stage. Cousins and co., in true professional style, kept on singing, with Dave moving out in front of the microphones, whipping up the crowd to join the accapella finale (they did with gusto!), getting a rousing cheer for his efforts.
Whilst Andy and Pete were impersonating whirling dervishes looking for and fixing the problem, Lambert and Willoughby joined Cousins in front of the microphone line. Blue recalled that there was a piano at the front of the auditorium, and hopped off the stage to check that out (it was more or less in tune!) Meanwhile, Hud was retrieving the snare drum from amidst his drum kit and bringing it forward too, helpfully providing DC with a bar stool as well. As it happened (I almost want to say "Shame!") the problem was fixed and the stage power back on before the song could really get started and the band went back to the scheduled transmission, but the audience loved them for it nevertheless.
Other highlights - "Benedictus" drew a lot of delighted smiles and a specially good round of applause, "Turn Me Round" was particularly clean and tight, as was "Tears And Pavan".
The show went down pretty well altogether with the Liverpool audience - possibly the most appreciative I've seen so far. Thanks also to the theatre staff who were as friendly and helpful as can be. Scousers are a friendly lot in other ways, too -apart from the guy who leant out of a loft window (where his band were rehearsing just above where we'd parked the minibus, as we were packing it up to leave for the hotel, and shouted down to Brian Willoughby "You're not much of a "*&%£!*" guitarist" - Brian gave as good as he got in good humour and then (fortunately, I think) we were off and away, back to the hotel for a few beers and a late night Chinese. Ah, the rigours of the road!
CUSTOMS HOUSE, SOUTH SHIELDS, 1 MAY 2001
Now that's the way to see the Strawbs live - a decent sized stage with plenty of room for the boys to move around (slightly too much room for Dave C who, on one of his forays to the side of the stage, brought his guitar lead within range of John Ford's leaps and bounds, with the result that Pete had to leap on stage to replug Dave's guitar during "Down By The Sea"). Customs House is a super venue - raked seating so everyone can see without difficulty, good lighting with someone skilled and tasteful at the controls.
Sound was good too and the band were in excellent form. Cheers of recognition from the audience for most of the classic numbers, and a hushed "wow" feeling after "Flower". A slight change in running order tonight, moving the hits "medley" further up the set to leave the powerful "The River/Down By The Sea" suite as the closer of the electric set. A definite improvement in terms of building the momentum of the set.
A warm summer's evening on the riverside and the beautiful converted Customs House of South Shields provided a lovely setting for the return (from last May ) of the classic 1973 Strawbs line up . With 5 minutes to go, the theatre was barely occupied but that did not stop Dave Cousins gesturing concerns for detailed layout changes to the stagehands from the wings. With 2/3 full, there may have been a few less "bums on seats" than last May but we got a more varied and longer show.
The first half was the Acoustic Set, led by John Ford and Richard Hudson; whilst it was nice to see John Ford play well on a 6 string Takemine and with good harmonies, the second song "Just Say No" was truly ironic from the American John Ford and absolutely dreadful in content and structure, a contrast to the expected beautiful, deep and poetical intricacies we have come to expect.
On uphill things went with Brian Willoughby and Dave Lambert next providing the newish "Ten Commandments" with Lambert giving a strong bluesy vocal, and brilliant note bends from Brian. Dave - where did you get that shirt from? "The Winter and the Summer" followed with a brilliant keyboard build up by Blue Weaver, softened down percussion , and a fine harmonics ending from Brian Willoughby. Cousins was introduced in a blinding blue patterned shirt to take us into a classic "Benedictus" with pristine haunting vocals untouched by time. Dave Lambert gave a great expression of relief in the instumental middle followed by Brian's wonderful harmonic ending again. "Witchwood" followed, haunting as ever, followed by excellent vocal harmonies to introduce "The Flower And The Young Man" and a great JF Bass line with DC dropping back on 4 chords in D.
Humour came next with Cousins recalling the appreciated Tony Blackburn story, to introduce "...Jesus" which saw an now effervescent JF on bass, and my friend Bob recall, "Blimey, that was played when I saw them in 68!, Great to hear it again". A quick drop of tuning led to my wife's favourite, a great "Glimpse of Heaven" - Blue's piles, apparently - to end the first set.
The 90 minute electric set really moved things up a gear, and decked out in new clothes ( Dave , where did you get the PURPLE VELVET JACKET !! ) blistering rock guitar , took us all into "Turn me Round", followed by my highlight of all time, the wonderful "Tears and Pavan", performed precisely with BW punching in the ending in E. Great .
No spoken intro for "New World" , loud and clear with fine "may you rot" vocals from the legendary Dave Cousins. The overall sound was now fine and Cousins' voice great as they swung through a joint "Out in the Cold/Round and Round"- brilliant Lambert ending, again. "Simple Visions" found Brian laughing, whilst Cousins coped well with a broken D string during the joint of "Remembering/And You and I".
"Heartbreaker " was next, not my favourite track, I always think of Free at this point, but well delivered and with appreciated tight guitar melodies. A nod of recognition between Cousins and Ford took them into "Lay Down" with the ladies of Row E now up and moved to dancing in the aisles, even Cousins seemed both amused and pleased at them. John was then left to kick off what seems to be the contractually obligatory "Part of the Union", providing a strong and at times frantic bass lead, with good piano from Blue.
Ending with the classic combo of "The River/Down By The Sea" saw fantastic 3 guitar intro and 4 guitar outro on DBTS which I overheard described behind me as "Magical. Wonderful". Personally, I have seen nothing so well done since Springsteen/Lofgren et al last year at Manchester. Brilliant lads, never ever leave these out of a show.
Encore was a punchy "Hero And Heroine" - power, speed and yet clarity , with Cousins dropping in and out with his acoustic assistance to a now bopping stage . A relieved DC ended by saying they would be back - "in twenty years"!, or twenty minutes in the bar. And they were. And met with great respect and much Tyneside beer, before setting off into the now cold dark night along the River Tyne.
Highlights , well , there were many - Tears , great , the Jesus song, vocals on "Flower", the guitar duelling of DL and BW, and the simple and beautiful enjoyment of sensing men just playing 'cos they want to . A good night overall - improvements for me would be, keep more to the electric format, don't forget a respectful mention of "Sandy"or her song, bring back "Stormy Down" so I can nick the chords (!) , and please drop the second song for a heavy disguise.
PS..... Have Blue and John been swopping barbers ???
Went to The Customs House at South Shields last night...what a gig.
It was obvious that all six guys knew how good it all was.DC had developed a cold over the weekend but his voice was still superb.(where does he get the shirts). The interaction between all the guitars was brilliant in both sets. "Benedictus", "Witchwood", etc etc were played with enthusiasm and pride.....fantasic.
DC said he`d see us again in twenty years but when they next tour again (next year?) I hope they don`t forget the North East. South Shields is a great venue.
This is as good as it gets.If you`ve missed any of the dates so far you`ve missed a classic, if you're going to any future gigs on the tour you're in for a night of classic Strawbs.
For me it was a first visit to an excellent venue, situated on the south bank of the River Tyne, bathed in late evening sunshine when I arrived. It was also the first concert I had attended on my own (at my age!) so I headed to the merchandise stall and the familiar figure of Denise where I was soon joined by Dick.
The first half was excellent - "The Ten Commandments" is a fine song (hopefully to be recorded).
I was a bit concerned at the start of the electric set when Dave's vocals on "Turn Me Round" seemed distorted, although I wasn't sure whether it was my ears or not, but by the end of the song everything sounded fine. This gig was so good it had three ladies dancing in the aisles at the back end of the set - the band either looked bemused and/or couldn't take their eyes off them! I was talking to Dorothy (one of the aforementioned ladies) in the bar afterwards and some fellow concert-goers had told them off for dancing!!? Moving "The River/Down by the Sea" to the end of the electric set after "Lay Down" and "Part Of The Union" was a good move that provides a fitting finale, and I sometimes think that the two "hit" records should come earlier, to loosen up the members of the audience who only know these two songs and sit motionless in their seats up until they are played! The highlight for me was seeing Dave Cousins jumping up and down like a two-year-old with John Ford at the end of "Hero and Heroine".
I had persuaded a colleague at work to bring along his wife who was a fan "many years ago" and last saw the Strawbs live in 1973 in Manchester, and she was not disappointed - "the years just rolled away - absolutely fantastic". When I last saw them she had bought a T-shirt and was working out whether they could get to another concert.
After a pleasant hour in the bar afterwards, chatting to Brian and with a big hug from Dave C, I drove home completely happy and on another planet.Thank you Strawbs.
As an earlier reviewer pointed out, many of the reviews posted have covered the essential information about the performances on tour so I'll try to put things in another light. This was the third year in which I've been able to 'coincide' a spring break in the U.K. with the tour. The concert at South Shields was an ideal excuse to visit my old mate, Colin Smith, from Reading University days in the early 70's. Days (and nights), I might add, that were often filled with the sounds of the Strawbs bellowing from Amstrad amps across the campus lawns sometimes we were blessed with the real thing at an occasional concert at the Town Hall. A time when we often discussed the meaning of lyrics rather than pursuing our academic goals.
How do you 'prepare' for a Strawbs Mayday concert? There may have been "riots" in London but all was quiet on the North-Eastern coast. We planned a hike along the Northumbrian seashore, but the "Glimpse Of Heaven" style scenery was out of bounds, a victim of foot and mouth fever. We were left to enjoy the smell of "smoking" kippers in a tiny fishing village, with the Farne islands in the distance - did this mean that "Grace Darling" might be appropriately slotted into the evening's performance?
So, to the concert, where it was business as usual. Who put those flippers on Hud's stool? Did somebody expect him to take a dive? The Customs House was a more than satisfactory venue, with excellent sound, lighting and seating. There were no big surprises, the show followed pretty much the pattern of earlier performances on the tour. As the expert commentators usually point out, this was indeed a game of two halves! The gentler first half built up nicely and gave respective members the opportunity to do their own thing - until Dave Cousins entered on "Benedictus" and then steered the course for the rest of the evening. "Together Apart" was well-received but Hud and Ford's other contribution "Just Say No" seemed to awake a more ambivalent response. Dave Lambert's bluesy "Ten Commandments" proved to be a good showcase for our dynamic duo (Lambert and Willoughby) of guitar wonders, followed by Weaver, Hudson, Ford, Lambert and Willoughby harmonising sweetly on "The Winter And The Summer". "Benedictus", "Witchwood" and "The Flower And The Young Man" represented nicely the Strawbs of the early 70's, with their folk-rock focus providing a particularly suitable framing for the elegant words of Dave Cousins. Dave pointed out that Tony Blackburn had warned listeners some thirty years ago about being offended by the lyrics of "Jesus", thereby limiting radio exposure. The first half finished off with "Glimpse Of Heaven" amidst Dave's longing for Horlicks and relief for his cold from Vick, rubbed into the chest of course.
The team returned for the second half and immediately upped the tempo. By the third number, "New World", I could have sworn I was back in the 70's - the lads were looking so fresh and energetic, as was the sound!! The young ladies dancing right of stage to "Lay Down" and "Part Of The Union" even had me contemplating getting up for a bop. "Uuhhh.....do you come here often?" The energetic rockier second half ended with "The River/Down By The Sea" - where all the strong elements of the band synchronise perfectly and leave the public crying out for more. They might have started turning up the house lights but the audience was undeterred and were given their few minutes of extra time to enjoy "Hero And Heroine".
In the bar afterwards the post-match analysis abounded between fans and even band members were drawn in to the discussions. Should they put more emphasis on folk-rock as in the first half or continue with the rockier style of the second half? How can they leave out such songs as "Hangman And The Papist" and "Ringing Through The Years"? Questions and discussions even covered the many aspects of life on the road. Could they really all get in to that mini-bus? Shouldn't someone take better care of their diets? Was it to be another curry on the Ocean Road, or has foot and mouth closed the restaurants too? The night air became chillier across the Tyne. Last orders were called, we were all hustled out of the bar and our heroes did in fact all get into that white van and headed south for a hotel somewhere on the highway (Washington, I believe).
Seriously though, yet another excellent concert from the six superb musicians who worthily bear the name of the Strawbs and, as Dave Cousins points out in the programme notes "It's hard work, but someone has got to do it". We thank you for the hard work and we'll keep coming to see the shows as long as you keep coming!
CHARLOTTE, LEICESTER, 29 APR 2001
Late as we were---Missed my pre-gig chat with Brian and Hud (those two most affable and friendly Strawbs)---wondering if 'the Fuehrer' was struck down by any of the ailments which seem to have struck him on the last two tours. The venue was a bit of a dive and the sound quality left a lot to be desired but, what a brilliant night!
The 'acoustic' intro with John and Hud followed by Brian and Dave L. worked so well building the excitement up. When 'Alexander the Great' ambled on to the stage, dulcimer in hand, I knew that we were in for a treat. 'The opening bars of "Benedictus" brought a lump to my throat and I was back at college 29 years ago reliving the moment I first heard Blue's intro. Things just got better and better: the superb interaction between Dave L and Brian , true guitar heroes both; surprises like "You And I When We Were Young". 'Alexander' himself was on superb form both in voice and humour.
Surprisingly, in spite of the high energy levels of a band on top form, I recalled throughout this gig the comments Dave made when reflecting on "Dragonfly": that ancient, mediaeval troubadour sound to me is the essence of Strawbs' music and what makes it so special. Thanks for a truly memorable one, guys
(P.S. "I Turned My Face Into The Wind" complete with power chords and Blue's magic touch. It's got to happen!)
HERRINGTHORPE LEISURE CENTRE, ROTHERHAM, 28 APR 2001
Herringthorpe Leisure Centre is hidden away in a quiet suburb of Rotherham, your typical suburban sports/leisure centre. Getting to the auditorium (I got lost in the bowels of the earth but eventually emerged), you find that the gig is to be held in a huge sports hall. I did hear one comment that it was like a high school prom. Nonetheless, despite initial misgivings about the space and the sound quality that might result, it proved an admirable venue for a Classic Rock Society sponsored Strawbs gig.
The hall began to fill up, the audience hanging around near the bar until the showstarted, then moving out into the main hall. Unusually, the Strawbs had a support act, the diminutive songstress Claire Hamill, who sang a selection from her many recorded albums, including Ray Davies' "Celluloid Heroes" and "Baseball Blues" from her first album "One House Left Standing" (on which John Hawken plays on a couple of tracks; I'm told that Dave Lambert and Brian Willoughby may have played on her albums but haven't been able to verify that yet). Surprisingly, accompanied just by her own guitar, Claire's sometimes breathily quiet material can be heard throughout the hall, and there's little chatting in the crowd - which impresses me greatly for a standing gig (I'm not normally too keen on these).
A break, then on to acoustic Strawbs - the usual set, without quite the quota of broken strings of the previous night at Milton Keynes (though Dave had his trusty Ovation to hand as a spare tonight after last night's stringfest). "Benedictus", despite a brief false start as Dave discovered he'd knocked his dulcimer on the way in and it was slightly out of tune, was the first song to get strong recognition factor. "The Flower And The Young Man" drew appreciative cheers. Blue's keyboards well up in the sound tonight.
Quite a long break before Martin Hudson, editor of the CRS's monthly mag "Wondrous Stories" introduced the second Strawbs set - the electric set really benefitted from the truly impressive lighting rig - complete with dry ice on a couple of occasions. The mix was great, with Cousins' vocals soaring over the instruments, even when played at full pelt. "Ghosts" is getting better and better. Excellent show.
"Wondrous Stories" is now out with its cover-mounted free Strawbs CD. Hope to bring you a review shortly together with details of how to get hold of it.
THE STABLES, WAVENDON, MILTON KEYNES, 27 APR 2001
Another cracking gig at the Stables, now finished off nicely (Strawbs were second band in the new building last year, which wasn't quite complete). Pity about the no photography policy - or we'd have some nice shots similar to those in the centre of the tour programme.
Dave Cousins was breaking string left right and centre, resulting the moving "Simple Visions" further up in the pecking order whilst Neil changed strings.
Lots of time spent in the sumptuous bar after the show with Dave C resplendent in a canary yellow jacket - we got some photos of the band at play - click here to see a selection. If you spot yourself e-mail Dick Greener to let me know.
If you get a chance to visit the Stables at Wavendon then take it ….. you may have to pay more for your ticket but the concert hall offers views and an atmosphere that are second to none – that's the first premium that you pay; The second premium is the quality of the show you'll get from the Strawbs this time round – talking to the band afterwards there was a recognition amongst them that they are playing and sounding better than ever.
Given the technical problems during the acoustic set i.e. they couldn't hear each other through the monitors, what they achieved was a testament to their skill and professionalism; highlights for me were:
Selecting those three is unfair because the quality of choice and delivery of the other numbers could easily get them selected if I wrote this tomorrow.
The electric set was astounding – I can't sing and I can't play an instrument but I think I know a band on top form when I see one and The Strawbs were one such band tonight. DC commented afterwards that he thought the performance was near perfect following on from what he described as the worst acoustic set they had played.
Highlights from this set would be:
Would I change anything? I'm not sure that "Part Of The Union" and a quick run through "Hero And Heroine" for the only encore actually deliver a climactic ending – but that may be as a result of the whole set being of such a high quality. The enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment of the band is infectious, JF and DL cover almost every inch of the stage in leaps and bounds. Like a fine wine the band seems to be maturing with age and reaching vintage status – as DL said afterwards ' I don't know how long it can remain like this …..".
And here's a question to mull over – who might get a studio album out this year (and it's not who you think !!)
I have come from out of the WitchWoodWork to talk about last nights gig at The Stables in Wavendon. I just had to get tickets for this gig as I only live about a 20 minute drive away and considering our friends overseas would willingly swim across the ocean to see the Strawbs I would have been put to shame if I hadn't gone. I was fortunate as due to mundane commitments I phoned for tickets at the last minute and managed to get a couple of the very few left. For those not living here in 'old blighty' I would just like to tell you the weather has been atrocious, raining practically non stop all week with a bit of hail and thunder thrown in for good measure so it was a joy when the sun shone on Friday and made the evening very pleasant for a Strawbs bash. When we arrived at The Stables in the warm evening air passing a field of lambs whilst driving over disinfected strips to prevent the distribution of the foot and mouth crisis, there was an element of disturbance in one's mind on how this crisis will be resolved (something Dave Cousins also mentioned in between songs).
Because I was driving this was one of those rare occasions I would see a band sober, although I didn't mind because The Strawbs were an exception to the rule. The setlist for the evening is probably well known to most by now, the only disappointing thing being the omission of 'Josephine' which has always been one of my favourite Strawbs tracks. It wasn't until Dave Lambert started singing 'The Winter And The Summer' that I realised how I had forgotten what a great voice he has and some of his guitaring on the night was exceptional. When Dave Cousins eventually came on to rapturous applause and picked up his dulcimer to play 'Benedictus' he made a hash of the main part and was visibly seen shaking his own head in dissatisfaction of his own performance, although I don't think anyone cared. After the half hour break from the first acoustic set The Strawbs came back on stage to play the second electric set which seemed to stir the band to greater heights and some of Lambert/Willoughby's twin guitaring was very good indeed, Blue Weavers keyboards were excellent and Dave Cousins voice rose to the occasion, all in all a very enjoyable night.
MECHANICS, BURNLEY, 25 APR 2001
What can I say? I have to agree with comments I have read from other dates on the Tour.....truly superb! A two thirds full house enjoyed a classic set, setlist pretty much as described elsewhere (only "Heartbreaker" being played further into the Rock set than previously) Hudson-Ford to start, then Dave L and Brian for some beautifully played acoustic (new DL song, "The Ten Commandments", and "The Winter and The Summer"), followed by the arrival of Dave C with dulcimer and famed floral shirt, and a goosebump-inducing "Benedictus"...the sound was excellent, only Blue gesturing for a slight reduction in keyboard volume at one point. Then on to an atmospheric "Witchwood", "The Flower And The Young Man", "Man Who Called Himself Jesus" and a spoken intro from Dave C about the inspiration for "A Glimpse Of Heaven" being the beauty of the Devon coastline and countryside.
After a short break, back with faders UP for the electric set. I have to agree with others, the interplay between Dave L and Brian is stunning, great twin lead harmonies, especially on "Simple Visions". Other standout tracks for me are "Ghosts", a rocking "Heartbreaker", complete with Townsend-type leaps and powerchords from DL (!!), and a stunning "The River/Down By The Sea", "Lay Down" and even "Part Of The Union" to end the main set had superb harmonies. Then back for a frantic "Hero and Heroine". This really is as good as it gets folks......rock solid Hudson-Ford backline, inspired Blue keyboards, and the most amazing vocal and guitar harmonies from Dave Dave and Brian.
Then an invitation to all from Dave C to "join us in the bar", which we did! .........at which point I was staggered to find myself talking to the two Daves like I'd known them personally for 30 years! Dave L and I could have talked guitars all night....I asked how he got such a monster sound from such a tiny amp. For all guitar buffs, he explained it's a now-unavailable JCM series Marshall combo, NOT the Valvestate it looks like from a distance....and believe me it sounds huge. Dave C. kindly answered my questions re: guitar tunings on some songs, and enthused about the free Strawbs-featured CD with this months Classic Rock Society mag, "Wondrous Stories"...it's a must-have item, only £3.50 available at the gigs, lots of rarities on there. Autographs and handshakes, and we had to go....
An excellent evening, get to a gig near you, you wont regret it.
First Strawbs gig in Burnley last night. Excellent night !!! Going again to Rotherham on Saturday 28 Apr. Miss them at your peril. Top set of chaps to have a beer with too .....
ROBIN 2, BILSTON, 24 APRIL 2001
Slightly different set list. As Worcester except no "Josephine". When they came out for the encore, DC said the band had had a nice card from someone who had seen them at Worcester, and was bringing some friends to see them to celebrate a 50th birthday. They had requested a particular song, so "we rehearsed it, unlike the rest of the set". Then into a rousing rendition of "Will Ye Go" before ending with "Hero".
I didn't really like the Robin 2. The presence of the bar made the acoustic set difficult to fully appreciate. At Worcester, the first set was magical, but at the Robin 2 it was almost in the background. This was a shame as the playing and singing seemed to be excellent. Slight fluff of the vocals on "The Man Who Called Himself Jesus". The audience was not large but enthusiastic. During the first set no one went to the front standing area, but this was remedied for the electric set.
Blue's keyboards were clearly audible (not at Worcester) and this produced a more rounded Strawbs sound. The glances and smiles between the band members showed that they were enjoying themselves. Being down at the front, I enjoyed the electric set more than at Worcester, and "Ghosts" was superb. I agree with others who feel that "Hero And Heroine" was slightly too fast but if slower the enthusiasm might be lost.
Sorry for a less detailed report that from Worcester, but I was down at the front having fun. I took a friend who hadn't recently heard the band: his assessment "Awesome".
Thanks to the Band for a dynamic gig at Robin 2 in Bilston, Tues. 24th April! (I've been paying to see this lot for 28 years now ... gulp). Please e-mail me re. any future local gigs. Thanks!