Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
4 stars out of 5 from The Guardian today:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/aug/04/lucinda-williams-review
Thanks for posting the set list.
Lu was on amazing form and the sequence of songs pitched perfectly to allow the seated audience to warm up. She clearly enjoyed digging out some older songs and although Memphis Pearl had a couple of false starts that only added to the increasingly joyous feeling in the opulent and vaulted room.
Lu came across as very human, sometimes in awe of her stellar band and her intros about her early career and experiences in the music business were spontaneous and funny. She wanted to go on, clearly, but 10.30 was the curfew after an 8.38 start.
Eric isn’t Doug but I thought some of the misgivings expressed on this board about him being unable to step back during quiter numbers weren’t borne out and that he played sensitively, with lots of space for Lu to let rip. The sound was perfect and Chet’s pedal steel just soared up to the vast ceiling at times – and the reflective encores were perfectly judged.
An absolutely world class performance – she seemed genuinely humbled by the entire place standing at the end. I was privileged to have seen it.
All this begs the question on why these types of venues were booked for her. I must admit that when I got my ticket for Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on Thursday I was half expecting it to be an acoustic, rather than full electric band, performance.
Its another Sage (a classical music venue) – great for when I saw Costello and the Brodsky Quartet there recently but terrible acoustically whenever I’ve seen anyone whose plugged in. I can’t visualise the audience wigging out in the aisles as she might like in such a formal setting.
Having said all that, I’m really looking forward to it and maybe they’ll re-think the set list in view of the Gateshead experience.
Very nice forum by the way, will share my thoughts after Thursday.
