Benedictus
On Growing Older
Tears And Pavan
New World
A Glimpse Of Heaven
Josephine For Better Or For Worse
The Flower And The Young Man
Martin Luther King's Dream
Part Of The Union
Stormy Down
The Winter And The Summer
The Hangman And The Papist
Witchwood
Song Of A Sad Little Girl
Oh How She Changed
The River/Down By The Sea
Lay Down
Will You Go
END OF TOUR PARTY GIG, NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY CLUBHOUSE, TEDDINGTON - 26 JULY 2004
A superb end to a regrettably short but wonderful tour. Teddington was an unusual experience for me, sitting in the front row and, despite the powerful music being pumped out from the stage concentrating on keeping very still to avoid camera shake on the camcorder with which, along with Sue Holton and Kevin West elsewhere in the club with other cameras, history was being recorded. At the same time Dan was at work to the right of the mixer capturing a quality multi-track audio recording. Whether any of it's releasable in any format only the Lord and Dave Cousins will decide, but it was a great thrill to capture it.
There were a few sound glitches here and there, but the night as a whole was a tour de force, the whole band relaxed in comfortable in "home turf" surroundings at the NPL Sports Club in Teddington. A small hall off the side of the bar is a good size for the crowd, which included many "friends and family" and regular fellow travellers which make up the Strawbs' core audience. And they were treated to a fantastic performance, with DC in absolutely top form up front, anecdotally as well as vocally, powerfully supported by John Ford on "lead bass" and lead vocals for "Witchwood" (eventually - John's microphone seemed to have a mind of its own throughout the night, at first not functioning correctly, then later the whole stand tipped forward over the monitors at a crazy angle). Lambert as ever turned in a fine performance, with particularly excellent vocals for "Oh How She Changed" and "Flower And The Young Man", both of which he's now made his own. Lambert was slightly held back on stage, hidden away in cramped conditions at the left hand side, but the usual Townshend power chords were delivered with suitable grimaces, though perhaps less movement than possible on the big stage at Trowbridge.
Difficult to see him much on the tiny stage, but throughout Hud laid down a solid foundation for a truly rocking show, notwithstanding that the repertoire for this tour was based on the earlier folkier material pre-1974 which this band (leaving Brian aside) could have been playing in 1973. Blue's keyboards were just at the right level, and were superb, and the folky "Will You Go" allowed him to step out to the front of the stage to show off his accordion skills, whilst DC and John shared John's microphone Beatles-style.
And this line-up majors on the full-strength unison/harmony vocals which were one of the features which first attracted and continue to attract me to Strawbs' music, shown off a treat by some of the selections tonight - "Martin Luther King's Dream", "Flower", "Oh How She Changed", "Witchwood" and "Glimpse Of Heaven". Whilst Cousins and Lambert (and soon Cronk) do a stirling job filling out the vocals in acoustic form, the power of the complete Strawbs vocal experience is a thing apart.
But in many ways, the spotlight fell on Brian Willoughby, this show his last with the Electric Strawbs as he leaves the band in August to concentrate on his career with Cathryn Craig and to promote their imminent single "Rumours Of Rain" (featuring pretty much every name from the folk scene, contributing a line or two Band-Aid-style). I suspect it was intentional that Brian was far more to the fore this time out in the electric line-up, partly as it is his swan song, but possibly also because the repertoire majored on the pre-73 material. Brian would have learnt and played these in the very early days of the Strawbs revival (1983/84) when they had a similar repertoire, but DL wouldn't have played these much other than when he joined in 72/73 - when they recorded H&H, most of the early folk-based songs which he didn't record on were dropped from the setlist - "Benedictus" and "New World" were pretty much the only survivors, along with "Lay Down", "River/DBTS" and "Tears And Pavan" from Bursting.
We're sad to see Brian go (after the next few August Acoustic gigs), but wish him success in the future - this concert underlined that, whilst no doubt the band will continue Phoenix-like and thrive, it's a fact that his significant contribution to this line-up will be much missed. At Teddington, time and time again, Willoughby stepped forward (not far as none of the band had much room) and delivered an effortlessly sublime solo - in the electric re-working of "On Growing Older", the final section of "Glimpse Of Heaven", and yet more superb soloing in "Josephine" and a storming "Oh How She Changed". Duo lead work with Lambert, as ever, was flawless - the precision of the duetting in "Tears And Pavan" and the spiky brilliance of the guitar duel in "Down By The Sea" as good as they have ever been. A fitting finale for the twin-lead electric "Bursting plus Brian" Strawbs, which, whilst the Hero And Heroine band may have been more fitting for this year's US visit, is one of the classic and best Strawbs line-ups for my part.
What a way to end a splendid tour !! It took me a day to get over it, and life seems very flat now that this year's electric treats have come to an end. Roll on September and the launch of Acoustic Strawbs Mk.II.
FOLK FESTIVAL, TROWBRIDGE - ACOUSTIC STRAWBS, 24 JULY 2004, ELECTRIC STRAWBS, 25 JULY 2004 and
END OF TOUR PARTY GIG, NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY CLUBHOUSE, TEDDINGTON - 26 JULY 2004
Trowbridge was in deed a magical event, not only for the stunning performances by the band but for the comradeship of other Witchwooders. Our caravan, having been designated as "Witchwwod HQ " for the weekend, we were only too happy to be of assistance as required. (Your cup of tea is ready Nigel !)
Mike and I, despite being long term Strawbs fans, had never seen a live electric show. Years ago, the sort of gigs and places the band were playing were impossible for us to get to, then children ended our social life.
When we tracked down the band and Witchwood on the Internet a couple of years ago and began to get to gigs it was right at the beginning of the Acoustic period. Despite seeing ( and loving ) numerous Acoustic performances, we had been longing to see an Electric lineup play live, so Trowbridge was a must. We staked our claim at the front centre of the marquee at 5.30pm for the show at 10pm..... no-one was going to get in front of us !!! We were not disappointed, the lads were great, giving their all in true rockstar mode. I pretty much sung myself hoarse and took loads of photos, which have now been sent to Dick for use as he sees fit.
To top the weekend off, we managed to arranged a stop on the way home for the NPL gig, where many friends from Trowbridge joined other Witchwooders to witness another great performance. We finally got home at 3am Tuesday, completely shattered, with Mike having to get up for work at 7am, but we wouldn't have missed it for anything. At last, two Electric gigs and our final Acoustic gig with the current lineup, all made for a weekend we shall always remember.
A Glimpse Of Heaven
Ghosts
The Flower And The Young Man
The Hangman And The Papist
Alice's Song
Shine On Silver Sun
The Winter And Summer
Autumn
Out In The Cold/Round And Round
Hero And Heroine
We'll Meet Again Sometime
Benedictus
Stormy Down
Tears And Pavan
New World
Witchwood
The Hangman And The Papist
Part Of The Union
Oh How She Changed
The River/Down By The Sea
Lay Down
Will Ye Go
FOLK FESTIVAL, TROWBRIDGE - ELECTRIC STRAWBS, 25 JULY 2004 AND ACOUSTIC STRAWBS, 24 JULY 2004
Ah The weekend hath endeth! I'm sitting here in front of my accumulated tenting gear, trying to get my head round a very memorable weekend. Having arrived and set up tent etc we made our to the site entrance and met up with Nigel Bennett closely followed by Dick and party; a quick chat, meet up arrangements made and in we went and practically walked straight into Dave Lambert - so that was another quick chat. DL not too happy about having to arrive early on site for the soundcheck.
All that changed at 3.25PM when the Strawbs (Acoustic) kicked off with their first off two gigs. Nigel has already posted his version of events [on Witchwood and below - DG]. So I'll just add a few comments. (I made notes as the set progressed but didn't use my glasses and 48 hours have passed; still here goes).
The vocal harmony on "Flower" was excellent. "Hangman" was sung with real power by DC and he also effectively toned down the mention of breasts and legs in "Out In The Cold". No doubt on account of the number of children dotted about an appreciative audience. The set was very well received and boded well for the Sunday Electric set.
Sunday was spent socialising with Nigel, Lief, Dick, Alison, Sue & Mike et al until the 5 o'clock sound check. Then it was a case of waiting for the 10PM start. It gave me a chance to re-acquaint myself with Hud over a quick bite. He's been very busy since the last tour he was in; at the last count he'd been playing with up to nine different bands, including High Society, playing a variety of music. For fans of said band Hud mentioned that they're currently working on a website which he said he hoped to have links to Strawbsweb.
So any way the Electric Set. Any of my earlier misgivings about same setlists were completely blown away by the band. Eliza Carthy and Richard Thompson were the proceeding acts. Dick managed to nod off during part of Eliza's set - she wasn't that bad [DG - I was just resting my eyes, honest! Nothing to do with it not being my day to drive and enjoying several pints with Neil eariler in the day.] and Richard Thompson was excellent. He certainly drew a big crowd. Many of whom went when Richard finished - a shame cos they missed something SPECIAL.
Things didn't start auspiciously. "Benedictus" opened with no vocals from DC until the 2nd verse. "Stormy Down" picked things up - even had a few dancing. "Tears And Pavan" had a few glitches. The band seemed to me to just not quite firing on all cylinders but then came "New World" and from then on they not only fired on all cylinders but hit reheat as well. Quite simply it was the most powerful electric Strawbs performance I have had the privilege to witness. At last aided by an excellent sound system (something which could be said for every stage - big or small). The lads let rip. I can still see it all in my minds eye and my inner self has been playing back "Down By The Sea" all day. It rocked, it rolled yet there were stunning four part harmonies in the quieter moments. DC delivered a truly awesome and passionate vocal on both "Hangman" and "New World". "Part Of The Union" got people singing.
DL was excellent on "Oh How She Changed", as good as Tony I have to say and then well .... I have seen "River/Down By The Sea" done a few times but never ever like I saw and heard in this set. Words just seem incapable of expressing my feelings I have never heard or seen the band so tight and heavy. Absolutely bloody brilliant. Heads were banging, air guitars were playing, thighs were-a-slapping. The place erupted at the end and "Lay Down" rode on the back of it. All too soon the encore "Will Ye Go" came and went and it was time to depart.
Nigel Bennett had said beforehand that he hoped the band would "blow 'em away" and by the look on his face at the end I think they did just that. Sadly I didn't have time for a "meet the band drink" as I was working the next morning. So accepting a quick lemonade from Steve Young (cheers mate!), 2 group photos, it was goodbyes to all and I made my way home ears ringing and hoarse of voice. A true pleasure to meet again and for the first time so many fellow Witchwooders who managed to make two very different but excellent Strawbs gigs that extra bit special and even as I type I know some of them will be at Teddington seeing it all over again (lucky buggers).
All in all it was a magical weekend and I would recommend The 32nd Trowbridge Village Pump Festival to anyone even if The Strawbs aren't there next year. It was one of those experiences you want to bottle.
I have managed to escape the encampment and the cold tent under the cover of darkness, to get a good night's sleep, before the electric band rip the rafters off the marquee tomorrow night as they headline the festival.
The weekend has been fantastic so far , plenty of great music/weather and meeting many friends from far and wide. The unfortunate Leif from Sweden lost his tent in an airline fiasco and poor Alison broke a tent pole after a tortuous journey, missing the acoustic set. Never fear help was at hand and both have cover over their heads, Leif thanks to the organisers of the festival and Alison and daughter thanks to Mike and Sue Holton and their caravan.
[DG - Leif was the chap with an orange t-shirt who wandered up to he front of the stage briefly at the end, before the encore got under way, and interrupted the show to hand over some Swedish strawberries to the boys!! Greatly enjoyed it would seem, backstage when we wandered round to chat later.]
This was probably the last time I would see the Cousins/Lambert/Willoughby acoustic performance and any fears that chattering crowds might pervade and spoil the performance (as during other performances at Trowbridge) were dispelled during the hour or so of the show. Spellbound may have been a word used before, but I use it again, the only serious glitch a little feed back during Autumn which was a shame.
Never mind the stage is set for a blistering finale tomorrow. Around 5000 on site so need to get a place early
Dick has somewhere a photo of those from Witchwood and beyond that are enjoying the event, you will just have to wait until he gets home to see that.
Off to bed now. 2.20 a.m.
Bravo !!!!!!! Even that mob from Southampton , extolling the virtues of Richard Thompson - who was pretty good - accepted that the band were pretty damned special despite their virtual relative lack of awareness of the band's music before the gig. One girl was to remark I must get their CDs to which I responded (with a concerned voice for her wallet of course) "hope you have got loads of money you will need plenty to get the lot, but it's worth it".
I overheard a chance remark taking down my tent, from a couple quite close referring to the electric set, it went "aesthetically they were very good , but a bit heavy " Dick's prediction about folkies and their socks certainly came true in Trowbridge on Sunday. Yes Sunday was very special to those there. Hope you all got home safely and now catching up on your sleep.
After the weekend and Teddington last night I feel like today I have flown round the world twice, experienced all the delights, still don't know what day it is, but have jet lag without leaving the ground.
Talking of which, imagine yourself one night sat in a huge marquee listening to a blistering set with several thousand people suddenly transported to a venue 20 x 25 metres, packed to the rafters with 100-150 souls, including a goodly number from the Trowbridge weekend, enjoying the full two set " Folk set " played with the same NRG as the previous night and sound bouncing of the walls. I could get used to this ! That was Teddington last night.
Wow, what a festival! There was so much to enjoy. The Levellers were wonderful despite the rather scary behaviour of some of their fans. Show of Hands were also superb as were the Oysterband, Richard Thompson, Eliza Carthy, Naked Voices, I could go on...... But above all it was the two fantastic sets by the Strawbs that stole the festival. The Acoustic set was a low-key delight. The combination of the two voices and three guitars produce an exquisite sound. The songs that I love so much in full band versions on the albums take on a new dimension when played in this way. The clever way that the acoustic guitars "interpret" mellotrons, synthesisers, woodwind etc. effects on the albums is really inspired. Stand-outs of this set for me include "The Flower And The Young Man" (probably my favourite Strawbs song of all), "Autumn", "Ghosts" and the wonderful opening "A Glimpse Of Heaven". The voices of both Daves were superb.
As for the full band set, I don't remember them ever playing as well as this. Although I have never been disappointed by a Strawbs concert (except for one awful occasion when Dave Cousins was on a Sabbatical) the most recent few concerts have been spoilt a bit by being a bit too loud. Electric Strawbs have always been a very powerful combo but sometimes they have tried to out-Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin. Last night the balance was absolutely right. The guitars were powerful without being too head-banging and Dave Cousins did not over-do the "screaming" vocals. His voice was perfect - angry when it needed to be, tender when that was called for. The vocal harmonies were spot-on and the choice of songs inspired. Tony Hooper has maybe the most beautiful voice in England but Dave Lambert very nearly matched it on "Oh How She Changed". John Ford's lead on "Witchwood" (my second favourite...) was a delightful surprise and DC himself was fantastic on "Benedictus", "Hangman", "Tears and Pavan" etc,etc. The rest of the band played superbly. My only criticism is that I could have done with at least an hour more! I would particularly have loved to hear "Martin Luther King's Dream" (my third.....), "Song Of A Sad Little Girl" and "On Growing Older". The time has come for another Chiswick House-type day to highlight all the songs that have been revived in the last few years. Anyway this was a wonderful performance.
Whenever I visit one of the great spiritual centres of Britain such as Glastonbury Abbey, Avebury or Durham Cathedral then it is Strawbs music that seems somehow to provide a perfect soundtrack. Only Ralph Vaughan William's music has for me that same deep sense of "Britishness" So many Strawbs songs are about the spiritual power of places as Dave's introductions make clear. It occurred to me last night that it would be great to visit the places that inspired Dave's songs. I was fascinated to learn last night that the "Witchwood" is Savernake Forest in Wiltshire and that "Stormy Down" is near Swansea. It would be great to know more about the places that inspired Strawbs songs (e.g. "A Glimpse Of Heaven", "The Battle", "The Shepherd's Song") and maybe produce some sort of Strawbs' Songs Gazetteer of Britain.
Benedictus
Stormy Down
Tears And Pavan
The Flower And The Young Man
A Glimpse Of Heaven
Josephine For Better Or For Worse
New World
Martin Luther King's Dream
Part Of The Union
On Growing Older
The Winter And The Summer
The Hangman And The Papist
Witchwood
Song Of A Sad Little Girl
Oh How She Changed
The River/Down By The Sea
Lay Down
Will You Go
THE UNDERWORLD, CAMDEN TOWN, LONDON - 22 JULY 2004
Just a quick review as I'm off with friend Jean Dulskey, over from the US, to the Trowbridge Festival in a moment.
The support band at the Underground, John Howard, was an interesting mix of ancient instruments and modern, real sixties trip music complete with weird and wacky clothes and Brian Jones haircuts. A haunting female singer produced some classic "acid folk"-style material, which you'd either love or loathe. All in all, an appropriate foil for the Strawbs one-set marathon.
Whilst the incredible power of the Northampton gig wasn't quite there (may have been at the front, but the layout of the Underground - standing at the front, lower level, with balconies all round leading to the bar area - dissipated the focus that a seated gig lends to the band), the Strawbs were still in very good form indeed, boding well for their headline spot at Trowbridge on Sunday.
Highlights for me were "Oh How She Changed" which just rocks, "Martin Luther King's Dream" and "Flower" which showcase the massed-Strawb vocals which are a key part for me of the band's appeal. "Song Of A Sad Little Girl"was particularly good, possibly sung by DC with greater purpose as its subject, his daughter Joelle, was in the audience. Willoughby turned in excellent solos on "Josephine" and "On Growing Older" and Blue's playing came over particularly well on the sound system.
After Northampton which I loved I was eagerly awaiting Camden. My daughter Lauren who is 13 decided that she wanted to go (I was amazed but pretty happy). She tells me that she gets to listen to the Strawbs because my music is always louder than hers (old habits die hard!). Anyway for someone who likes bands such as McFly, Blue, Busted I wasn't quite sure what she'd make of it all - I needn't have worried.
For someone who'd been brought up in sleepy Aylesbury like Lauren, Camden itself quite a culture shock. Although I was brought up in London and I still need to acclimatise sometimes. The pubs can't be very good as I noticed Dave and Neil wandering around outside seeming trying to find a pub for about 10 minutes. The venue from the outside seemed nothing special a rather weather-beaten Victorian building surrounded by endless Kebab shops and in the middle of a very busy traffic route. Northampton was a rural idyll compared to here.
Downstairs in the Club it was very dark and the main floor was surrounded by a gallery. The stage was lit up by dim single red spot and was much smaller than the Roadmender and I was wondering how the six of them would fit on it. The good thing was that there was a bar inside which made everyone happy. The bar staff were looking for a break from what apparently had been an extremely busy night the day before. Obviously don't know a Strawbs audience then!.
To start with there were VERY few people inside compared to Northampton and it all seemed a bit desolate and low key. In retrospect we got their a bit early (being overly keen as usual). Eventually the support act Circulus (?) arrived to entertain a crowd of eager expectant Strawbs fans (the unenviable fate of all support acts). Lauren couldn't quite get to grips with the music calling it 'random' (teenagers' latest dismissive). There were parts that were enjoyable but it was a strange blend of medieval prog rock that didn't quite gel properly and a lot of the vocals were just lost in the mix. The female lead singer however I thought was terrific but a bit wasted (sic) in parts.
And then the Strawbs arrived to a great reception from the audience and after a minor false start and a quip from Dave about the bloody tuning going on forever straight into "Benedictus". I don't know if it was me or the venue but Dave's voice was clearer and stronger than before so that the lyrics of the songs came over better. To me it didn't matter as I was happily 'singing' all the lines anyway.
At Northampton I'd taken a friend of mine who'd never listened to the Strawbs before and he'd absolutely loved the show - being a musician himself, he appreciated just how good the band are, however he had mentioned that it was difficult to follow the lyrics which are so integral to the music. I must thank Hud for taking time out to talk to both of us about drumming and drummers.
The set was the same old favourites as before but lost nothing in the retelling. Really, REALLY good was "The River/Down By The Sea". I was just completely absorbed in the music its power and beauty; I was there, in Dover, watching, feeling the sea crash in. All the instruments seemed to meld together to form this extraordinary epic, grandiose sound, fabulous, probably the best performance I have heard to date.
"The Hangman And The Papist" was even better than Northampton. What a song this is, its message undiminished in its strength and meaning over the years. Dave's voice full of venom, hatred and desperation. Let's all hope this song becomes irrelevant, a reflection of times that should never have happened: sadly I doubt it ever will.
"Song Of A Little Sad Girl". Have always loved this song and I suppose it was even more poignant as my daughter was with me, again this was sung with even more feeling seemingly than before. The ending can be a little overpowering compared to the gentleness of the beginning but this time it worked extremely well.
"Martin Luther King's Dream". I was absolutely delighted to hear this song again performed live by the full band. It seems a lot less stark than the Antiques and Curios version these days, the music carrying the lyrics in a more flowing manner (difficult to explain as you can probably tell). It just seems to be more hopeful, more embracing (I'll give up now so as not to disappear up my jacksie!).
Trying to pick highlights is always difficult as I love all the music over the years. I suppose the only omission was "Grace Darling" which is my most favourite song of all (gushes) and "Blue Angel" for its last section which I love dearly. However this did not diminish my enjoyment of a great concert.
When I spoke to Lauren afterwards she said she thought the Strawbs were 'really good' (trust me that's a tremendous accolade from her). Her highlights were "Benedictus" (although she thought the dulcimer was an out of tune guitar! 'sounds weird' she said ). She was amused at Dave struggling with the tuning (I'm not sure he was), "Part Of The Union" was 'great' and she liked the 'rocking' numbers best of all ( I saw her tapping her hands and feet along to a number of the songs). She also thought that John looked like Jon Bon Jovi in his hairy days (don't know if that's a compliment).
Interestingly enough she said that playing the songs from a CD is nowhere near as good as hearing them performed live. That comment stuck with me as I've seen a number of bands over the years where their concerts sounded like an amplified version of their albums (probably were!!). This criticism can never be levelled at the Strawbs and it's why the group should keep touring for as long as they possibly can (please). They made an old, old fan extremely happy and a new generation of fan has just been born. If great music is timeless then this is it.
HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER - 21 JULY 2004
Show at Worcs was magic. Arrived around 8-00 pm at Huntingdon Hall which is a beautiful building. Full house again. Very good sound although Blue Weaver did have a few prolems at first but got it sorted,"Tears And Pavan" was minus the organ . Lots of banter going on ,especially between Dave C and Dave L who were both in good humour, as were all the band - they all seemed very at home there. Brian's guitar work shone as did Dave L`s."Down By The Sea", this has got to be the best version I've heard in years. "Witchwood" went down very well as well,as did "The Hangman and The Papist". There was a standing ovation at the end of the show with the crowd roaring for more. When the lads came on for the encore we were treated to two songs, they did "Tears And Pavan" again and of course my favourite "Will Ye Go" and yes, We Will Go. Again, most certainly,a wonderful evening.
On the back of a storming performance at Northampton, a trip up to Worcester and the delightful Huntingdon Hall was a journey I was really looking forward to.
The keyboard opening of "Benedictus" fitted well with the setting surrounded by pulpit and the huge pipes of the old church organ with the congregation sitting comfortably on the remaining pews. The atmosphere within the hall was building and the usually quite reserved audience in this venue becoming increasingly enthusiastic as the gig progressed.
Unfortunately during "Tears And Pavan", the third song in the set, Blue suffered an organ failure. Fortunately, just of the electronic kind and, after much crawling around on the floor, order was restored in time for the next song , the delay being filled, by a Cousins stand up comic routine, the content of which is may need an "18" rating before being repeated in writing. This kept the audience regally entertained with a promise that they would do the song again later even though the rest of the band had originally finished the song without hesitation.
"New World" was delivered with its customary power and the audience, if wavering, following the unfortunate technical problem, was now back entranced and vocal in its support. The sing along - and it was - "Part Of The Union" closed the first half and the crowd by now were getting off their seats in appreciation of what they had seen.
What was said about the second set at Northampton could and should be repeated here. "Hangman" was delivered in a style that surely you would find hard to be bettered and the mood swings between extremely soft and gentle and loud, powerful and aggressive captivated an audience whose cheering was resounding around the hall at the end of each number.
The re introduction of "Oh How She Changed" into the set is an absolute gem and running with "The River" etc provides an awe inspiring climax. Again the audience sang along to the closing number before jumping to their feet to plead for an encore.
This was duly provided with Blue starting by playing that missing keyboard bit from earlier leading into "Pavan" and then "Will Ye Go". I seem to remember an even more rocked up version of the last number from a few years back ! Is that still in the locker ?
Yet another standing ovation , the third or fourth of the evening before everyone returned graciously to the bar for a chat.
At last the UK electric Strawbs back where they should be – on the stage at Worcester! As I've said many times before, this venue is made for the band and it was packed yesterday evening. The band got a tremendous reception, possibly one of the most enthusiastic crowds I've seen at a Strawbs show in a long time. And as for the setlist, absolutely fantastic, I reckon they listened to the "let's vary it a bit" discussion!
Having loved and got used to the acoustics from the numerous tours, I had forgotten just how good the full band is. They opened with "Benedictus", possibly the first time I've heard it given the full treatment, the last time they toured it was played in the semi-acoustic part of the set, and it was marvellous.
"Tears And Pavan" was plagued with sound problems, Blue could not get his keyboards to work at all and resorted to playing the harpsichord part at the start of "Pavan" using the internal speakers so that those at the back of the hall would not have heard it at all! After the song Dave said they'd do it again at the end! On the subject of sound it was really good, apart from the keys which didn't really get sorted until the second set – I couldn't hear them properly in "New World". One feature was John's bass, which was very prominent, and I'd not really appreciated how good a bassist he is.
The setlist appeared to be the same as Northampton but I'm not sure if the running order was the same. I think "Stormy Down" was much earlier in the set, age impairs my memory! John sang lead on "Witchwood" and made a marvellous job of it, although it seemed strange not to hear Dave singing it. The singing in the show was excelletn with all three singers excelling on their lead spots. The backing vocals were first rate with the three (or four) part harmonies (I think Hud was also singing backing vocals, but with him tucked away at the back it was hard to see exactly what he was up to!)
"Martin Luther King" was superb, I don't think I've ever heard this live with a full band, certainly not for a long time. "The Flower And The Young Man" was again handled superbly by Dave L, it's great to hear this song again. And despite everyone's opinion of POTU, it certainly brought the first set to a rousing conclusion, with fantastic audience reaction.
"Winter And The Summer" was beautifully done, Dave C's mandolin playing was superb and was really audible above the band, even in the acoustics I've had trouble hearing it, but not tonight! "Hangman" was absolutely wonderful, Blue did a fantastic job on the organ part – better I think than the last time I saw him play it and Dave was his usual caustic self!
Then came "Oh How She Changed" – probably the highlight of the show for me, DL handled the vocals amazingly well, I don't think Tony could have done better, again the first time I had heard this song live apart from at Chiswick. Loved "Song Of A Sad Little Girl", what more can be said.
"The River/Down By The Sea" was pure magic, I'm going to have to recant my previous feelings that this could be dropped for a while, it is essential. Then "Lay Down" ended a fantastic set by a band that are playing superbly, what a shame that this is Brian's last electric tour, the effortless swapping of the lead parts was a joy to behold.
Finally the crowd gave a rapturous standing ovation and clamoured for an encore, so the band came back and played "the one we cocked up earlier" so we had a repeat of the "Pavan" section, with Blue playing his solo part superbly! Then on into "Will Ye Go" and another standing ovation, then it was all over.
I was a bit concerned that Dave's voice was sounding a bit strained towards the end, I hope the heavy schedule of touring is not over stretching it.
High lights for me were; Hangman, Oh How She Changed, Witchwood and Martin Luther King.
Dave C was on very good form especially the joke about things that glow in the dark, I'll say no more!
The friend who I took with me had only ever seen the acoustic band and was quite blown away with the full band and was particularly impressed with Blue. Hud's drumming was perfect for the folkier songs played last night, supporting and complementing, but full of power when needed, excellent.
Overall this was an amazing show, one of the best I've been to, the band were very together and should be on top form by Trowbridge! They need to come back for another tour quickly! I would love to see the US band tour the UK, but honestly I think the setlist played by the UK band is far more varied and adventurous and all in all I would prefer to see the UK band.
An amazing night at Worcester Last night. The technical problems surrounding Blue and Dave C not having a strap for one of his guitars only emphasised how comfortable the Strawbs feel with their audience as they joked about it and kept to their promise of replaying the 'one we buggered up earlier' at the end - shame they couldn't do all of them again at the end and let us have a complete run through again.
Eager little hands were pushing through the crowds for their copies of Deja Fou amongst the regular venue goers saying "which CD can you recomend - I've never heard of them before - I like what they've sung tonight"
It's lovely to see that venues are attracting a much bigger and wider audience than they were only a couple of years ago - but "egh misses - let the true fans at the merchandising, we've waited paitently for a long time for this new album"!
In the bar after the abnd were happy chatting to one and all again. Brian being his usual gentlemanly self - refusing to sign Deja Fou as he was not on the album - even after pointing out that this may be the last time of seeing him for a while he would not sign. DC sat on what must now be HIS chair in the bar sipping Southern Comfort. As we talked to Richard Husdon about long gone gigs of the past he asked DC a couple of questions regarding group line ups and clothes worn at gigs and DC knew without thinking the precise answers to the questions - a walking encyclopedia
Richard, as I said, was happy to recall a tour of about 9-10 years ago then the Strawbs were their own support act dressed in wigs and dark glasses (and black leather jackets - DC did not want this point to be omitted) he then went on to tell us about a night he spent at DC's house dressed in wig and glasses with a disuised voice and not being detected by any of the people there present - he later went to their local pub still in disguise worying the local landlord considerably.
As usual a night with the Strawbs has to be seen to be believed - there is no comparison between electric and acoustic - both are brilliant in their own way. I wish Brian well in his new venture - he will be missed - there was something very special about the guitar playing between the three of them playing acoustic which was missing form the elecrtic group even though this has replaced by a diffferent kind of magic
As we left the car park we spotted Blue driving away in his mini - Rock and Roll !!!
After 30 years I thought I new the Strawbs repertoire pretty well. Last nights concert at Huntingdon Hall however was a revelation and has exposed a new layer in my appreciation of their work.
That comfortable feeling of understanding each members contribution to the intricate sound and performance was blown away by deliberate and sometimes less than subtle changes to arrangements and presentation. The more varied contributions of John, Brian and Dave L, and the new textures added by Dave C. and Blue resulted in a show that was both familiar and challenging.
Particular highlights for me included "Tears And Pavan" which was superbly delivered despite some technical problems, and Witchwood, the feel of which was totally changed by John's vocal. I was also impressed by Blue's contribution to many favourites, he played as well as I have ever seen him, despite being occasionally being let down by his equipment (keyboard and not personal as Dave quipped). It was a credit to him that those difficulties did not damage the overall performance, a lesser musician may well have failed to deliver under such circumstances.
The rest of the concert was well up to the very high standard we have come to take for granted Dave C. being on excellent form. I bet he's never been in a pub before and been told by a barman that he did not have to pay, its a wonder he didn't have a seizure! Like a fine wine he's more likely to be in a screw top bottle these days than corked. The fact that the band received two standing ovations at a venue where they had not before received one, says more than I can about the overall quality of the evening. The lads looked pleased with themselves and genuinely stunned by the reception they received, and rightly so.
Don't miss them.
I realize I'm a bit late posting, particularly as there have been so many reviews of Worcester, but it's taken me the best part of a week to reflect on what was a very intense musical evening. Sadly this was the only electric gig I could get to, so I took a couple of days off work to travel back down south. I stopped in Redditch to pick up my elder daughter Ella (who had been with me to a few Strawbs gigs, but had grown out of "Dad's music" and got into her own).
We got to the Huntingdon Hall early, and ate there (food quite good and reasonably priced). In the bar we met Brian who told me that "Rumours of Rain" is at an advanced stage of production: he seemed excited about it: can't wait to hear it. Then met with Nigel and chewed the cud with him and his son (sorry, Ive forgotten his name).
Then on to the first set of the show. As reported there were sound problems, but the band struggled nobly producing a good if not inspired set. High points for me: "Martin Luther King's Dream", Brian's solo on "Josephine", and the bit in "New World" where DC sings "Were you the coward who fired the last shot" and John Ford goes Thump on the bass (a real goosebump moment).
The second set was sublime. I was making the odd note on my setlist, when Ella took it and the pen and wrote "ACE" whilst they were playing "Oh How She Changed". The second set was simply highlight after highlight. Rugged DL strummed and strutted like the consumate axeman the he is. Hud drummed in a way that only one other drummer has had me spellbound (BTW that's Dave Mattacks: ex-Fairport). BW showed great sublety and appeared to be able to do more that was obviously him than when he's played with the Acoustics: his playing is superb, but he lacks the stage presence of DL. I'll miss him with the Acoustics, but hope to see more of him playing with Cathryn (that didn't come out quite right!). Despite the Huntingdon Hall curse (see below) Blue was more up in the mix that I've heard him before, and it was well worth the wait to hear it: at last the keyboards where they should be rather than in my imagination with the Acoustics. John Ford's bass playing is wonderful, driving the songs along: it was good to hear him singing "Witchwood", hearing a different interpretation of a classic. Finally DC: what can one say. The shirts were not as loud as expected, but the trademark gyrating hand movements were still present. The vocals alternated between power and sublety, and he still managed to quip that the Huntingdon Hall is the only place where the raffle is more popular than the band.
There were several standing ovations from a normally reserved Worcestershire audience. Then we were treated to a reprise of "Pavan" (with keyboards working) and then "Will Ye Go" with Blue on piano accordian.
The curse of the Huntindon Hall struck again. The mixing desk is on the right of the auditorium, and I imagine the sound is usually perfect for there. I always seem to end up on the left, where the musicians who are in front of the mixing desk are further back in the mix: I would have liked to have heard Brian and Blue more, but at least it wasn't as bad as some gigs I've been to there.
Ella said afterwards that it was the best gig she has ever been to (and she's been to quite a few now). Afterwards she was chatting to Hud and told him that she'd had a few drum lessons: he told her that if she persevered he'd let her do the drums on "The River/DBTS"!
Stories about luminous condoms, Blue's failing organ and a missing guitar strap were woven into what I consider to be the most balanced set the 1970's Strawbs have delivered..
A number have commented in the past about the tension between the volume the Strawbs need to generate to maintain the mix and the size of the venues they play. Well at Worcester the setlist was perfect for the venue – sound balance was excellent but the songs lent themselves to a strong but measured delivery; even at full blast during "The River/Down By The Sea" the separation of instruments and vocals was maintained.
The set itself was full of surprises from "Martin Luther King's Dream" through "Oh, How She Changed" to "The Flower And The Young Man" and "Will You Go" – all delivered with passion and enjoyment from the band. The strength of the four part harmonies added extra depth to songs that we've heard on the Acoustics tour and the sharing of lead vocals with John Ford and Dave Lambert enabled DC to maintain a really high standard.
Nothing really I can add beyond the above except to say that it would be a shame if the quality of the setlist and its delivery weren't captured in some way either for DVD or a live CD.
By the way if you go to Worcester ago don't go in the Castlegate multi-storey or you'll get fleeced for £8.30 for your three hour stay !!
DANESFIELD SCHOOL, MINEHEAD - 20 JULY 2004
Two re-unions? Well there was for those who retired to The Foresters Arms after the gig but more on that later. Having done much of the organisation and knowing we had sold most of the tickets I don't know why it is that I still think no-one is going to turn up. As it was, well before 7.30, the hall at Danesfield School was almost full. Though the school probably didn't win its architect much in the way of an award, the hall is brilliant for concerts. The stage is fairly large and everybody in the hall gets a good view. I wasn't sure what to expect on the setlist as I hadn't read the Northampton review not wanting to spoil the surprise.
However, I had a sneaking feeling that songs associated with the American line-up would not feature and indeed that was the case. This was a much more folky Strawbs than I'd seen in a while, though there was a good selection from Bursting which kept me more than satisfied. The crowd seemed to be appreciative of everything played though I'm sure many of those present before this night would only have known "Lay Down" and "Part Of The Union".
The evening started with support band Zebras on The Highway who must have got a great kick out of being there. At an average age of 11, it wasn't a bad gig to add to your CV! The Strawbs played two sets and received pretty much a standing ovation at the end and came back for a short encore. We then all retired to the pub and the evening began again. It's impossible to organise a gig and then go on to enjoy it so it was great to be able to relax and chat with various Strawbs afterwards. I'd never met John Ford or Blue Weaver but they were really great guys. I also talked at length with Brian Willoughby and at the end felt very sad he is leaving. I do hope his place in Strawbs history is properly recognised in the future. He must have been the longest serving member of the band in terms of uninterrupted years next to Dave Cousins. I wish him the very best with his continuing musical career.
I mentioned two re-unions. Well the "Bursting" plus Brian line-up was the first. But to see John and Hud back together as The Monks playing a rather unique 5 string guitar in the pub after was a wonderful musical moment. "Nice Legs Shame About The Face" was performed to the absolute delight of the packed pub, followed by a spirited "Heavy Disguise" and then from Dave Lambert, "Framed" which is such a fine, fine song. They may also have done "Part of The Union" but I have a slight memory lapse............
Got to bed at 5am. Rock 'n' roll.......... Just over 30 years since I first saw The Strawbs and though we are all looking a touch older the audience and band are wearing well. Will there be another tour? I really do hope so.
Benedictus
On Growing Older
Tears And Pavan
New World
A Glimpse Of Heaven
Josephine For Better Or For Worse
The Flower And The Young Man
Martin Luther King's Dream
Part Of The Union
Stormy Down
The Winter And The Summer
The Hangman And The Papist
Witchwood
Song Of A Sad Little Girl
Oh How She Changed
The River/Down By The Sea
Lay Down
Will You Go
THE ROADMENDER, NORTHAMPTON - 17 JULY 2004
In a relaxed moment on the US tour Dave Cousins explained to me the rationale of the two line-ups: with the Nearfest progressive rock festival in mind, the US line-up would be playing the rock-based progressive stuff which was the mainspring of the band's appeal to US fans in the mid 70s, and with the Trowbridge Folk Festival as the centrepiece of the short UK tour, the UK band would be concentrating on the folk-based material which was the basis of the band's early appeal.
Well, it may have been folk, but anyone wishing for meandering pastoral wistfulness needn't have checked into the Roadmender in Northampton on 17 July, as the Strawbs were delivering that manifesto with the full weight of their rock pedigree. The Roadmender sound system literally belted it out, every beat of Hud's bass drum vibrating through the first row seating - first time I truly FELT the Strawbs. The lights - arguably sufficient to illuminate the Royal Albert Hall - concentrated down on the first row where I was sitting; I later learnt that this normally wasn't a sitting venue, so perhaps had we all been standing, the lights wouldn't have been quite so blinding; certainly when I retired to the side of the room for the second set to get some different camera angles the lighting did prove to be a bit less fierce.
Before I set off for the show I drew up a mental list - without anything by way of prior notice, I'd add, as DC likes it to be a surprise for me too! - of the songs I might be lucky enough to hear from the early "folky" days. I thought I'd hear some of them, but never expected to hear them all. And delivered with such passion and power as to belie their folk origins. As this performance builds towards its climax at the Trowbridge festival, it will knock the folkies' socks and sandals off, believe me.
Opening with the familiar organ chords of "Benedictus" from keyboard player Blue Weaver, we were treated to a set which drew entirely on the repertoire of this band as it was in 1973 - the Bursting At The Seams album and before, but delivered with a power and poise derived from 30+ years of subsequent experience, as well as the additional input from power-rock guitarist Brian Willoughby enjoying to the full his swan song with the electric Strawbs.
"On Growing Older", recently added to the acoustic set, was given a new rock treatment, which suited it well, the first verse being repeated to extend the song after a tasty instrumental break from Willoughby. If there was any worry that the UK band would be lacking in power in comparison to the US incarnation, "New World", which followed "Tears And Pavan" dispelled that fear without any question: this line-up of the Strawbs has power to spare, Hudson's storming drums, with less emphasis on cymbals than Coombes, driving the song to its emotion-laden conclusion, alongside Ford's thumping bass.
"Glimpse Of Heaven" was next, a splendid organ break from Weaver, followed by a beautiful showcase for Willoughby, "the stunning "Josephine For Better Or For Worse". Next, an extended Cousins joke, Lambert with his fingers in his ears refusing point blank to listen (last time he had trouble starting up the next song), leading into a stunning "Flower And The Young Man", complete with Beatles-like keyboard part from Blue. Another wondrous surprise, the hymnal "Martin Luther King's Dream", not heard live since the 1983 revival for the Cambridge festival of that year, another chance for the four part harmonies to shine, as well as Blue's mighty organ (no jokes please).
The first set ended, surprisingly (as this is normally left towards the end of the gig), with "Part Of The Union", with "little Johnny Ford" leading the band into 1973's number 2 hit, performed with gusto, with the audience clapping along, reminiscent not of typical UK audiences of late, who have listened politely and sedately to the acoustic line-up, but of the US fans who've screamed and shouted as though they were again in their 20s, enjoying the favourite well-loved band of their post-adolescent years.
The second set started up with the up-tempo "Stormy Down", followed by Lambert's "The Winter And The Summer" (no sordid acronyms please - DL is by the way delighted by this revelation which had not occurred to him over the 30 plus years he's been playing this song), with Cousins moving to the mandolin, a first for the electric band. A powerful "Hangman And The Papist" followed, and then another surprise, John Ford taking the lead vocal for "Witchwood", which he sings in his solo shows, and which DC had suggested he take over for this set; so John says, adjusting the key of the song to suit John's voice. The acapella third verse particularly wonderful, with a single lone fuzz chord following it, leading into the final instrumental section .
Yet another surprise, the delicate "Song For A Sad Little Girl" piano opening from Blue, with DC taking the difficult acoustic guitar figure and singing this poetic and soulful number like a dream, with the chorus vocals over storming drums and bass hitting another peak. Next, a very welcome but unlooked for addition to the set - the Strawbs' first single "Oh How She Changed" with Dave Lambert taking over the wistful Tony Hooper lead vocal without turning a hair; the full-on four part harmonies which were the trademark of this version of the band coming fully to the fore despite a slight weakness in the sound mix in favour of the instrumentation. This one hasn't been in the set since the 83/84 reunion gigs either, and my lord does it have some power behind it, Willoughby's seemingly relaxed but piercing solo and the thundering backing underpinning the roundelay vocals.
And finally, the band curved into the final straight with the familiar discordant opening to "The River/Down By The Sea", the twin leads slightly muted by the sound system, which had throughout emphasised the drums, bass and keyboards, followed by the thoroughly crowd-pleasing singalong "Lay Down" (I'd wondered if we might get a crossover from the US tour, the "Mighty Wind" acapella opening, as being in line with the folk theme, but we instead had the standard rock version).
For an encore, I almost thought they might break with the 1968-1973 theme and opt for a rousing "Hero And Heroine", but Blue stepping out from behind the keyboards sporting an accordian made it obvious that the finisher would be the feel-good folk anthem "Will You Go", with Cousins and Ford clustering round a single microphone Limeliters-style, as in days of yore.
Everyone headed out into the bar area with a huge grin on their faces, including the band. Great venue, great crowd, great performance, which with just a tweak or two on the mix could have been one of he Strawbs' finest. Could only have been better setlist-wise with the addition of things like "Tomorrow" or "Sheep" where this band used to get their instrumental rocks off, but as close to perfect as makes no difference. Not in ANY way eclipsed by the US band, no matter how good they were (and believe me they were damn good). You HAVE to get to see this band play this so-called folk set.
