PAVILION, HAILSHAM, 29 SEP 2002
A nice little venue - a comfortable former cinema with good sound - with one big disdavantage: no licensed bar!!!
First up, Helen Watson, a bluesy guitarist/vocalist, formerly a member of female supergroup Daphne's Flight with Julie Matthews, Chris While, Christine Collister and Melanie Harrold. Attractive guitar work and some good accapella numbers interspersed with bluesy harmonica. She was not talking to the fans much, stating that she wanted to give them as many songs as possible in the 35 minutes available. For me personally, I think she'd have done better to concentrate on fewer songs as towards the end of her set they started being a bit "samey" to me.
Short interval then the return of our intrepid trio, who seemed to have recovered from their brush with salmonella. After some housekeeping in the short interval (DC coming on to make certain all the leads are plugged in right) and delivery of three bottles of water to the positions normally taken by stronger beverages (was this solidarity with the audience or the residue of gippy tummy ?) they proceeded to deliver a sound performance for the last night of the 2002 tour schedule.
Particularly good at Hailsham was "New World" with Cousins really screaming the bitter lyrics and "Hero And Heroine" where the abrupt ending really rips. Superb. "On My Way" goes from strength to strength, with the usual moment of humour as DC takes his solo bow, and "Autumn" got a strong reception from the audience, as did "Ghosts". "Flying" was nice and tight and the feedback which marred "Alice's Song" (teething troubles with new pickup from America instead of being miked up as usual) was sorted out by then.
I'd like to add my own thanks to the many other fans who've thanked the band for an excellent year's touring. My holiday entitlement's in ruins, my health's shot from constant travelling and early mornings updating the website, but I wouldn't have it any other way ..... the quality of the performance, the strength of the material, all makes for a show I can enjoy again and again, particularly given the insights into the songs that we get from Dave's often humourous introductions, and the repartee and obvious enjoyment we see in all three performers.
One slight regret: whilst I can see that, on occasions, the length of the set might have had to be reduced for some venues' requirements, I miss the newly-introduced "Lemon Pie" and the opportunity for Lambert and Willoughby to deliver DL's "Ten Commandments" whilst Cousins does his Dietrich walkoff. Whilst "Hangman" is a great song, I think we could live without it for a season (and maybe a few others just for a little while) to make room for a few new ones like "Lemon Pie".
What about it, folks ? Could we countenance a Strawbs gig without "Witchwood", "Tears And Pavan", "Glimpse Of Heaven" and even maybe "River/Down By The Sea" to make a little room for some new variations - what about "Blue Angel", "Out In The Cold/Round And Round", "Hanging In The Gallery", "Dragonfly" or "Martin Luther King's Dream" or "In Amongst The Roses" to replace them, just for a while ? Or maybe even "Oh How She Changed" with DL tackling the part previously reserved for Tony's tonsils.
Maybe next year's tours will have a theme other than the "Strawbs travelogue" which links the present set - after all they are revisiting venues which have already seen the the Acoustic Strawbs show.
Other views welcome..... or is this thinking the unthinkable ?
I booked my ticket quite late, so was surprised to get exactly what I asked for, an extreme left side end of row near the front seat, perfect for photography -- and a good position to get up and run about from.
It's been the most perfect weekend weather. Yesterday my wife and I went for an evening walk down the Cuckmere valley and over Seaford Head to see the sunset. Pictures will be on website real soon. I was supposed to be borrowing a car to get to Hailsham tonight, but the friend involved got something wrong, and the insurance wouldn't cover me, so I couldn't have the car. Numbers of other things happened to try to stop me getting there -- the train service was withdrawn, so I had to go on the bus, I couldn't hire a car at such short notice, I couldn't find a bus that left Hailsham after 7.00 pm, my wife's parents decided to come to visit at short notice, and my cat began to appear very ill.
Still, Mum and Dad turned up (late, delayed by the Sunny Sunday Syndrome that brings Brighton's roads to a standstill far too often) and we went out and had a good boozy lunch and sat in the garden and composed an electronic birthday card for Juliet's brother (it's his birthday today, but he works Sundays) and I rushed out at four o'clock to begin the twenty five mile trek to Hailsham. A mile down the hill into Brighton I met the train replacement bus struggling up the hill half full of frustrated railway passengers. The bus bounced and rattled and swung and undulated to Lewes, never achieving more than twenty miles per hour, but the train to Eastbourne was late anyway.
So I got off the train in Polegate at 5.25 with two hours in hand to cover the three miles to Hailsham. I found I had half an hour to wait for a bus that would then get me to Hailsham at 6 -- so I decided I would prefer to walk, and set off for the Cuckoo Trail. This is an abandoned railway line -- it's fairly direct, and quite flat, and just shy of three miles long.
It's hard to convey how wonderful this was -- strolling along a country footpath with nothing but the birdsong for company, and the occasional whizz and whirr as a cyclist passed me. I saw dragonflies flitting above the witchwoods and young oaks groaning under a bumper crop of acorns. In fact, every bush was filled with bounty. There were apple trees -- I bought some local apples from the greengrocer yesterday, and now found the same kind windfallen on the path in front of me. There were massive amounts of blackberries -- when I was young we would have gathered them and eaten half at the time and taken the rest home to bake into a pie, but now they just hang there in the hedgerow, ignored perhaps, or shunned by children who have been warned not to eat anything that Mum hasn't inspected. Alongside them sloes hung on their bushes, and other unidentified berries, red and scary, draped among the golden evening sunbeams that pried and rummaged into the long green tunnel that was my path.
I wandered along wondering about Dave Cousins' words -- "I feel autumn coming on". Keats depicted autumn as a "season of mists and mellow fruitfullness" and I wondered if what Dave was hinting at was the way one feels when one arrives at this time of life, where you can afford to take on the idea of a £30 taxi ride home from a £12.50 concert with aplomb, where while you might not have the spring you once had, you are still strong enough to take on a three mile walk before a concert -- ah. the riches of middle age!
I strode into Hailsham, past the little council houses that have tile-hung walls to try to emulate the delightful Hailsham decorated brick architecture, but just look cheap. The church clock was striking the half hour as I passed The Terminus, plainly once a railway pub, which turned out to be the only pub in Hailsham. Just around the corner I found the Pavilion theatre, and a helfpul man standing at the door pointed me in the direction of a grocery where I could get a sausage roll and a can of beer, and I made a frugal but filling meal on a bench in the churchyard by the ancient church, while the gathered worshippers sang their benedictions inside.
And then it was time to go and take my seat. The Pavilion is, as Dick mentioned, a converted theatre, so you go in through the front swing doors and are confronted by a ticket booth, with a short staircase to either side. Up the stairs, round behind the booth, and into the auditorium, there is a refreshments booth, a staircase up to the gents loo, and a sound desk with a peculiar electronic bubble on top. Seating capacity was, I would guess, around 200, and it was gratifying to see the place almost full.
I took my seat and listened halfheartedly to the canned music, while looking for anyone I knew. Eventually spotted Dick Greener and went over for a chat, during which the hosts decided to announce the schedule for the evening. There is no bar, so the timing of the intervals is vital in order to allow us to run out and buy beer - and the pub across the road has closed down preparatory to conversion to offices, but the council won't give planning permission, so the nearest alcohol is some way away. And then it was back to our seats for the early start -- 7.30 because it's Sunday -- and a supporting set quite accurately summed up by Dick. One thing Dick didn't mention was the strangely unnerving disembodied voice over the PA making the introductions -- it is very odd to be addressed directly by someone who is invisibile. Anyway, the lady supporting had a presentable voice, and a reasonable guitar style, but her choice of songs wasn't wonderful, and her own songwriting unmemorable.
There was a brief interregnum while they reorganised the stage, and then the lads came on, Dave Cousins in a blinding white shirt, and they launched straight into "Benedictus". There's actually very little to say about the set as such, as the songs are quite familiar by now. Dave's introductions are as laconic as ever, and it was intriguing to hear during the familiar story of the writing of "Ghosts" in a hotel room in America the extra detail of the Nelson's column replica outside the hotel that didn't have Nelson at the top, but an angel that was lit with a blue spotlight at night.
It was wonderful to finally hear the band do "Who Knows Where The Time Goes". The electronic introduction followed by Dave's hauntingly restrained vocal were moving in the extreme, and indeed Dave commented that when they first started doing the song he found it hard to control his emotions. Tonight he managed this at least partly by his usual style of humorous introduction -- "thirty years ago we first recorded this song in my front room -- we had all the latest electronic gadgets -- blankets hung up at the windows, and a grundig tape recorder running at three and three quarters..." -- but the performance conveyed a lot of emotion, and deservedly drew the best applause thus far.
This led straight into a rousing "On My Way" from the same period of Strawbs, then the stock (but still wonderful) "Glimpse of Heaven" (one of my favourite songs of all time), followed by "The Flower And The Young Man", and then the finale of the first half, "New World", introduced it would appear as Dave's response to the events of September 11th. It is odd to think that I last heard the Strawbs perform this almost exactly 31 years ago, and that I had a recording of that concert in my bag as a gift for Dave later.
Being right at the front, it of course took forever to get out of the theatre at half time, and thus I lost Dick, so set off for my only certain source of alcohol, the Threshers off-licence. Got back in reasonable time, reasonably refreshed, and met Dick coming in the other way. Stopped for another little chat, and then the lights dimmed for the final set, and we resumed our seats.
There is very little to report about the second half. The lads came on in fresh shirts, and they were much more brightly coloured, although the lack of the blinding white shirt made photography somewhat easier. Apart from, when DC put his banjo down and picked up his guitar again after "Flying", his guitar stand got tangled in the pickup lead, and Brian leapt in quickly to untangle him. DC observed that this was quite embarrassing, and that before long he'd need to be helped in and out of his bath. He also made some comments this evening about having to wear a sweater -- or rather a cardigan -- at this time of life.
All the songs are by now familiar, and notable only for being much tighter than when this tour began at the White Bear in June. Both Dave's banjo playing, and Dave Lambert's bodhran in "Hero And Heroine", which were a bit tentative in June, are much more assured, the only slight glitch coming when Lampoon put the bohran down and found he couldn't reach his guitar. But the evening ended on a superb high note, and it was only a shame they couldn't go on into the night.
As the last notes faded away, there was time for me to run across the road and get a taxi to Polegate in time to catch the last train. But they announced that Dave would be available to sign CDs and posters, so I hung around, and sure enough he soon appeared. One fan who produced a copy of the tie salad CD to be signed was a bit distraught to be told by Dave that it was a bootleg, but Dave signed it anyway. There was some talk of bands who put out pirated CDs of their own early records to which the record companies turn a blind eye, at which point I presented Dave with three CDs of music of his that I had recorded live in the 1970s. His immediate reaction was he wanted to "put them out". I would be delighted if he would set up a bootleg distribution of his own early recordings; it would make keeping them all these years even more worthwhile, but it was wonderful that he was so pleased.
We also discussed other numbers that might be revived in the next Acoustic Strawbs tour, but I won't go into details -- I wouldn't want to either steal his thunder or raise your expectations -- but it did involve more use of the banjo, and a large amount of fun for all concerned (except, possibly, Sir Cliff).
While I was there, I asked Dave why he was touring again, and he said, as I suspected, it was because he enjoyed it so much. The Strawbs are a wonderful band on record, but my greatest memories are of them live -- not the stadium rock things, but the intimate acoustic folk clubs and small halls like tonight, where Dave can strike up a relationship with the audience, and then we get his wonderful introductions to the songs as well, as if he is talking to each one of us individually. I feel that Dave Cousins is one of the greatest musical artists alive today. In person he is just a regular guy who likes a drink, but on top of this he is this man who has written and sung some of the most perfect songs I have ever heard, and it is a privilege just to be alive at the same time, never mind to have met him (although I have never, to my certain knowledge, touched the hem of his garment....)
I hung around a while longer, saw Dick again, met Cathryn Craig, and made sure I knew when she and Brian were coming to Brighton next so I wouldn't miss them this time, then was told that the group of people who had just left were going back to Brighton and I could have got a lift. It didn't matter. I was so high. I strolled across the road, got a taxi straight away, and as we pulled up outside our house half an hour later and I was paying the driver, my mobile rang -- it was my wife, wondering where I was. So I asked her to open the front door and look out. She has agreed to come with me to see the Acoustic Strawbs in January in Burgess Hill again. She is in for a treat.
I wrote much of this last Sunday night, after the gig, while sitting up with a very sick cat. She died on Tuesday, which is why this has been a bit delayed. I miss my little Otto. She was the sweetest natured little black cat (with a ruff of a single row of white hairs around her shoulders in the winter), and she used to sit next to me with her chin on my knee. She was nineteen and a half, so I can't say she was taken prematurely, but right to the end she tried to enjoy life, frequently sitting on my lap purring while I was trying to write messages such as this one. So I shall always associate her final days with this concert, and the two will forever enhance one another in my memory.
SUNDIAL THEATRE, CIRENCESTER, 28 SEP 2002
Central figure at tonight's gig was to be Dave Lambert, 30 years to the day he made his first Strawbs appearance at Watford Town Hall. However after an early arrival we learned that Dave Cousins was feeling a little more than under the weather. There was a real concern that an anticipated celebration may have been dampened by DC's fragile state of health. (Brian had apparently succumbed the previous evening).
Climbing very gingerly onto his stool and a wipe of his brow during "Benedictus" caused real concern for his well being. However, Dave is not one to let the fans down and apart from this brief insight into the problem got through the number. Then the music and the events of the evening took centre stage.
Indeed, just like an elixir for many ills (it is for many fans), the music took over and we were treated to Dave at his real best, singing his heart out and humorous banter in between. The first set finished with a powerful and evocative "New World". As this finished there was long and sustained applause delaying the trio's departure for the much needed break.
During that first set we had witnessed a perfect "Who Knows Where Time Goes", which was far tighter than earlier in the tour, with the two e-bows producing an exhiliarating harmony that fitted extremely well into the instrumental opening written for the song just before the start of the tour.
Also during that first set, just as DC was drawing breath, after explaining the history behind "On My Way", DL ripped into the opening chords, just as another utterance was coming from DC, a polite enquiry from DL to check whether he should start now, was met with with by DC saying "oh go on then". Lambert once again cracking immediately into those opening chords. It was during this song another moment of humour surfaced. During the mid section of the song DC launches into his now infamous lead solo, Lambert called "Poetry" only to receive a retort from DC "no, economy". Anyone seeing this solo will know what he meant!
An extremely unusual, missed vocal during "Autumn" by Dave Lambert, only seemed to energise his playing into a searing guitar performance, that fizzed venomously. (Plenty of more practice...{please please}....say another 30 years and we will keep coming back !).
That second set started with the moment we had all been waiting for....... the re-appearance of the red jacket. It was there as "Lampoon" strode on to stage. "As seen on Top of the pops" quipped Cousins. Much banter then took place with Lambert proudly anouncing "well it still fits". "Lay down" was of course replayed as a re run of those previous days.
As the set finished a huge demand for an encore of "Hero And Heroine", was met with the Band returning, this time with Lambert covered in a colourful frock coat. But first a presentation of a set of coasters etched with a strawberry. (This award presumably being the equivalent of an award of a county cap in English cricket -- just another 6 years is it Brian, to get your award). "Not expensive" said Cousins but "don't worry Dave, your share of the cost was just one third.".
The overall evening sets were a little shorter than earlier in the tour , no doubt due to the health issue, but you cannot fail to be impressed at the level of commitment and performance given in what could not have been an easy situation. Thanks to all of the band for not only last night but for their performances during this latest tour. There were many friends there last night already looking forward to next January when the next UK tour is rumoured to be taking place. It cannot come quick enough. [No rumour - dates being posted to the site very shortly, Nigel - DG]
Attended the Cirencester show on Saturday and it was probably the best acoustic show I've seen. The playing was much tighter and together than Newbury earlier in the year (and I thought that was good at the time!). The venue was not sold out but was probably three quarters full.
The band came on with Dave C looking rather fragile - he admitted that he was feeling very frail "as a result of something unmentionable last night - not very pleasant" and indeed Dave looked quite unwell for the first few numbers, though he improved drastically by the end of the show. Dave started the show by saying how special it was for the band as it was the 30th anniversary of Dave L's first show with the band.
The opening "Benedictus" was probably the finest rendition I've ever seen, other times it's suffered from being the first number and things have taken a while to settle down. Not tonight, quite superb. The set continued as reported for the other shows, finishing with "New World" which was utterly fantastic. Amazing that numbers which you associate with the big band sound and the major keyboard parts can be made to sound every bit as powerful by three acoustic guitars. Dave's singing is truly at an amazing peak at present.
At the beginning of the second set DL came on wearing the legendary jacket "as modelled on Top of the Pops" and much amusement was had at his expense. He stood up for photos and demonstrated that it still fitted around his stomach after all these years!
The second set then started with "Witchwood" showing that "Lemon Pie" had indeed been dropped. Shame but I'd rather have heard "Witchwood" anyway. Also no "Hangman" or "Ten Commandments". "Flying" was so good, reverting to the original tempo rather than the slowed down version at Newbury.
At the end of the set DL came on for the encore in the long multi coloured "house coat" which I've seen in a number of pictures of the time he joined the band (can't remember exactly where it was from, but it wouldn't have looked out of place in Rick Wakeman's wardrobe!)
"Hero And Heroine" was again better than earlier in the year, seeming to be more "spiced up". A superb evening obviously enjoyed by all those present. Coincidentally my seat was next to Nigel Bennett's and we had a quick chat.
This was our last Strawbs concert for this year. The venue was at The Sundial Theatre Cirencester and had a good turnout. Dave C was feeling a touch under the weather [with suspected food poisoning] but he soldiered on as usual and as the music from the movie "The Strawberry Blonde" [James Cagney] the band played on. The quality as through all the shows we`ve been to was superb. "Witchwood" appeared again (it was cut out from the Tamworth show), "New World" as usual got rapturous applause, as did "Down By The Sea". "Lay Down" got a few singing and of course "Hero And Heroine" as the finale went down really well.
Dave C announced at the beginning that it was Dave Lambert's 30th anniversary with The Strawbs. He was presented with some Strawbs coasters later. After the interval Dave L came on stage wearing his famous Plum velvet jacket from the 70`s and had a few wolf whistles. He later arrived on stage with a full length Kaftan on, both items still fitted him.
Met up with a few Strawbs fans there, hello Nigel, hello Kevin and Jan [from Banbury] and Paul and Dave. A quick chat to the lads, they went on their way and we went on ours. Brilliant shows, good humour, great musicianship, here`s to next year.
PLAYHOUSE 2 THEATRE, SHAW, 27 SEP 2002
One of these days the lads will play a venue I find easily........after driving up and down for 30 minutes, finally found the place. It's a nice medium size theatre, with seats stepped in a semi-circle down to the stage. A support duo (Steve and Elaine..??) did a set of Joan Baez/Joni Mitchell covers ("This Flight Tonight", not heard that for a while).
The lads came on to loud applause, and played two great sets. They have always played and sounded great, but there's a noticeable tighter feel to this tour, I put this down to DL acting as a human metronome, keeping strict time that all three can hear loudly with his left foot. DC is in the best vocal form I have ever heard, stunning on "New World". The 'E-Bow Symphony' intro on "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" is really special, a beautifully arranged version of this fabulous song. DC carries the vocal very well. Brian played superbly as ever, his hands hardly seem to move but produce staggeringly effective chords, runs, and almost vocal string bends, and all this despite suffering a heavy cold (hysterics all round when DC suggested a rub of Vic on Brian's chest "but not by me!"). Much hilarity too when Brian politely jumped in and moved the banjo mic up to the banjo as "Alice's Song" began (DL: "It makes it louder that way, Dave...."!!) DC had forgotten and left it pointing at the floor......and a Dave Cousins guitar solo during "On My Way!!" (DL smiles: "Magnificence" , DC retorts :"Economy!")
DC was visibly delighted with proceedings, grinning broadly at the other two during several numbers.
Also saw DL drop a pick first time ever during a fast and furious "Lay Down". Main set was basically as the last couple of gigs, and to my disapointment, no "Lemon Pie", "Ten Commandments" or any Lambert song. Huge applause brought them back for a constantly evolving "Hero and Heroine (Shanty Mix)", again very tight and together with whoops and yelps from DC, and a nicely controlled DL bodhran followed by frenetic thrashing of the Washburn. Excellent stuff and not a still foot in the house.
Usual disclaimer, miss this at your peril!
PICTURE PLAYHOUSE, BEVERLEY, 26 SEP 2002
After a pleasant 80 mile drive on a glorious Autumn evening, I arrived nice and early to join the queue. There were a few grumblings from the people behind me that they thought they'd bought tickets to the full band as the promotional leaflet had the concert listed as "The Strawbs" and how they wouldn't have come if they'd known it was an acoustic gig. I really can't believe they went home disappointed after the show. Good to see a few familiar faces around - Neil (from the Beeb), Dave Passmore and Brian's gang from Richmond (Yorks).
The Picture Playhouse is not my favourite venue, I saw the full band there 18 months ago: the decor has seen better days and I just find it a very strange and gloomy building. I settled down in the 2nd row to be joined by my fellow Witchwooder and Yorkshireman, Al Jameson (we met at last!). Dave C's opening remarks were "We like coming to Beverley - it's the first stop on the way to the Saga Tour to Scotland, it's become one of our regular stop-off points!" and off we went into a tremendous night's music.
Dave C was obviously up for this gig, he sang full pelt on "New World", "Hangman", "The River" and "Hero And Heroine", in contrast to the slightly more restrained singing at Otley, and let out several whoops (of delight?) throughout the evening. This was definitely one of the best "Acoustic" gigs I've been to - it was just spot-on from start to finish and I found it very difficult to sit still during the last three numbers! A slight disappointment at not hearing the new versions of "Lemon Pie" and "The Ten Commandments", but I hope that the beautiful "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" and the powerful "New World" remain in the set for a long time to come.
A corker of a gig to tide me over the next four months, but I'm already planning and plotting my routes and nightly passes out to attend the next set in January ;o)
photo by Alison Brown- more photos from Alison
PACIFIC ARTS CENTRE, BIRKENHEAD, 25 SEP 2002
The Pacific Road Arts Centre had good acoustics, with tables laid out - we sat at table 24 - but there must have been only 100 people there. How do The Acoustic Strawbs make enough money to play at these venues?
We arrived just before they started to play, and I felt a bit of a heretic buying a drink for my wife and myself while "Benedictus" started to play .
I would like to echo what others have said about the two Daves' voices. They sounded excellent - in fact Dave Lambert's singing stood out for me, in the second part of "Ghosts", and in "Down By The Sea". When they harmonised "The Flower And The Young Man", I could not believe that there were only two voices singing. I managed to buy 4 CDs from the shop - sadly Hummingbird will not be available until next Monday. I bought the Strawbs Sampler and Classic Rock CD, Alice's Song, and (at last) Baroque and Roll. I haven't yet listened to all of the latter, but Dave Lambert's singing is much better live than on this CD.
Highlights for me were "Ghosts" and "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" (I have had the fortune to hear Fairport Convention sing this at the Neptune Theatre in Liverpool only a few months ago, as well), together with "The Hangman And The Papist"and "The River/Down by the Sea", but the concert was excellent overall and I would thoroughly commend this tour to everyone.