Venue:
St Georges Bristol
Date: 17/02/2016
I bought the album last year, and having fallen under its spell, I bought two prime tickets for the gig on the day the tour was announced. My companion for the evening had never heard the album, or anything from it. It was my treat this time; he was the innocent victim, with no preconceived ideas at all about what he was about to see and hear.
The album in question is Primrose Green, and the artists we were about to experience are Ryley Walker and Danny Thompson. That’s Danny F*cking Thompson, as Ryley puts it.
I’d listened to the album again yesterday in the car, and hoped that what I would hear that evening would be more than a recreation of the work, fine though it is as it stands. For listeners of a certain age and persuasion, it inevitably evokes echoes of influence as Ryley channels Jansch, Martyn and Buckley in his own unique style. What I had hoped to hear in the evening was a development from that, a blooming, an exploration, a progression if you will; something new yet rooted in the exciting possibilities revealed by the album. I wanted jaw-dropping. I wanted brilliant.
I got it. Reader, we had our socks blown off. I was not disappointed. They were astonishingly good.
There is nothing, nothing at all, like hearing this guy sing and play live. If you have heard the album – and if you haven’t I urge you to do so – you will be amazed to witness the live performance of those same songs – and loads of new ones! The new material is powerful and splendidly different, and seems to be growing organically from their collaboration. I think the first four or five last night were all brand new – I lost track while grinning broadly and losing myself in them.
Front row seats, a couple of yards from the edge of the stage, and right in front of our eyes the room was lit up by a man possessed of great presence, completely ON the moment, IN the song and flying, a soul on fire, a force of nature lost in the instance and focussed upon nothing except the performance. This guy can be scarily intense. And what a pairing, what a perfectly conceived match the two of them are; I hope upon hope that there is a live album from this tour; it will be an absolute and utter belter. Danny Thompson is the rock that anchors the music and delights the ear while Ryley flies and conjures. That bass. That voice. That guitar. Great raga-like streams of invention and then a return to exquisite chording, explosive swoops and yells, shouts even, and then that lyrical poise again. There are words here, well chosen ones, images and feelings suggested and scattered across the soundscapes, flurries of ideas snap into focus and evaporate away, and then when the song subsides, there is always THAT bass, perfectly at home when the last note pulses out and slowly fades. They grin at each other as the song ends.
These guys are having a complete ball, and I urge you to catch them on this tour; it was the best gig, it was stunning, just stunning.
The audience:
Afterworders by the Audi load. Kids and freaks, hipsters and their grandparents, an encouragingly wide spectrum. No civilians. Perfectly behaved – well they would be, they were transfixed.
It made me think..
It’s rare to witness artists of this calibre; once or twice a year you might be lucky enough to stumble across a performance this powerful. One day like this a year will suit me fine, indeed. Marvellous.
Vince Black says
I’m going to the Clitheroe gig in 6 days time. I know the promoter who put this project together. He told me that when he approached Ryley last year, floated the possibility of a duo tour with a budget for some rehearsal time, and then revealed who he had got lined up for it, Ryley stood up and hugged him. I can imagine both duo partners were delighted at the prospect; Danny at knowing there is still someone out there who can play like the pioneers, and Ryler at getting the chance to make music with a guy who was ever present on those classic recordings
Mike Hull says
Bring on Birmingham tomorrow night!
atcf says
I’ll be at Birmingham tomorrow with my wife. I’m a big fan, she’s never listened to him, so I’m hoping she’s in for a treat.
Mike Hull says
I’m there with @SteveT of this parish. After reading the review above, I’m even more excited than I already was!
Colin H says
So, Vulpmeister, are you saying it’s any good? I couldn’t quite tease out your view from such a nuanced post…
Sounds like I should buy the album – only heard the title track and it’s sensational.
Vulpes Vulpes says
🙂
The album’s great, but doesn’t really prepare you for the real thing.
*goes to M&S to buy new socks*
Colin H says
Socks’n’Vulps’n’Rock’n’Roll….
pencilsqueezer says
Bas*ards. I have decided that I will dislike to my dying day anyone who gets to see this pairing.
I would give my eye teeth to have been able to do so.
Bas*ards.
pencilsqueezer says
Oh and enjoy yourselves.
pencilsqueezer says
Bas*ards.
Mike Hull says
Sorry.
pencilsqueezer says
.
Baron Harkonnen says
Hi @penclsqueezer, how we doing buddy? Was at Ryley and Danny`s gig in Clitheroe last night and just like foxy describes, the Bristol gig, it was absolutely brilliant with added Lancashire cheese!! The lady supporting Meg Baird wasn`t too bad either. The Clitheroe venue, The Grand, is a great little venue, holds 400. We were early so had a choice of almost any seat in the place. So we decided to sit behind the mixing desk, the bar being 18 feet away had no influence in the decision, anyhow you get a good `spec` wherever you sit at the venue.
Managed to have a chat to Ryley while getting refreshments, nice guy and what a talent.
Thanks to @vinceblack for putting the alert about the tour on in this place.
pencilsqueezer says
I hate you forever.
Seamus says
Oh yes. Just back from seeing the Oxford show. In total agreement with original post.
retropath2 says
Bastards indeed! Woke up this bright and frosty. Alerted to a message about a kitten riding a tricycle, or similar, on faecebook and there I saw it, “that” Ryley Walker and Danny “Fucking” Thompson pictures from the Rainbow, Brum. Last night . Yep, the same gig what I had tickets for and, in a holiday kerfuffle forgot!!!! I hate it when that happens. Again.
Ne’er mind. Mr T is back in Brum 12/5/16 for a one-off reprise of the Nick Drake tribute, Way to Blue, curated by Joe Boyd, with Green Gartside and others.
Mike Hull says
It was a great gig with amazing playing from both musicians, but the Rainbow really is a shit tip. If it didn’t have electricity, I would class it as derelict!
It was a true pleasure to see Danny Thompson live on stage again. He’s three times Ryley’s age, but the music was timeless.
Neil Jung says
I’m seeing him at Bush Hall tonight. Great review. Now looking forward to it even more than I was before.
Tim The Admin says
Nice review @vulpes-vulpes – would you mind if I edit the title to the actual name of the artist?.
Two reasons – it deserves a wider audience (at present it will not show up in Google and other search engines when someone searches for a Ryley Walker review) and it’ll be easier to find using our own ‘search’ facility.
Vulpes Vulpes says
No problem – please go ahead.
Junior Wells says
Saw him recently in a small venue in Melbourne. The Toff. We were on the Tony before the gig balcony and Ryley asks if it ok to smoke to which I responded what the fuck fl you think everyone is here for. “just thought I better ask”. He then asks for. Light and my friend who didn’t know who he was says “only if you can roll it one hand” so there’s Ryley grimacing trying to manage the task. He failed but got his light. The bad player was a local guy who had to learn it all in short notice before the brief tour. I stood about 2 metres from Ryley for the whole show. There are a lot of influences there Drake , Martyn, the Dead.
Lovely gentle man.
Junior Wells says
Tiny balcony
Junior Wells says
Geezus no edit and phone posting is a bad mix
The BASS player was a local guy.
Johnny Concheroo says
When you said “we were on the Tony before the gig” I thought that might be a euphemism for a new drug that’s sweeping Melbourne.
Junior Wells says
Well being my name it could represent a range of drugs both medicinal and recreational.
Neil Jung says
I had a chat with Ryley last night as I found him disguised in a red hat standing next to me waiting for Meg Baird to come on. We’d spoken last time I saw him albeit briefly under similar circumstances in Hoxton in September. He said hi it was good to see me again and asked what was my name again, as if he remembered me. Which was nice. Anyway, I asked when the next album is coming out. He said September. I should have asked if it was a band album again or him and Danny, but being a bit star struck, erm didn’t. I said we need a live album. He said tonight’s gig was being recorded and his saying so would probably jinx it! So look out for that.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Can someone who is going to see him later in this tour tell him that we will all beg, borrow, steal, do whatever it takes to get hold of a copy of one of these Danny duo gigs?
Neil Jung says
https://twitter.com/i/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F%3Frefsrc%3Demail&t=1&cn=cmVwbHk%3D&sig=1c2a081820410c61eb6f5a2bb50d8bd3e54b2dde&iid=baa918fec0d34330b0b4eae409ef91e5&uid=38675538&nid=27+1553
Neil Jung says
Well, that didn’t work. Bloody computers.
Neil Jung says
Was trying to show that the great man had read Vulpes review that I’d tweeted and replied to my tweet. This is what you’re missing if you’re not on Twitter!
Neil Jung says
Are there any instructions re how to post a photo or screenshot? It’s a mystery to me.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Crikey! I’d love to read his reaction to my dropped jaw enthusiasm. I saw him chatting to someone downstairs as we left the gig and just had time to yell “Stunning, just stunning!” to him, to which he replied with a grin and a wave, “Hey, thanks man”.
Vulpes Vulpes says
To post a screenshot (saved as an image file) or a photo you need to upload it to somewhere like Imgur and then paste the Share link that Imgur generates into your post here – in other words the image needs to be “out there” with its own url.
Neil Jung says
In response to my tweet with your review linked in it, he just tweeted; hey thanks Mike. Good to see you last night.
As for uploading images to Imgur – why does it gave to be so complex?
Vulpes Vulpes says
‘cos unless your device is publicly available for any Tom, Dick or Harry to see, the image has to be hosted somewhere ‘public’ (i.e. at a url on’t interweb) so that Thomas, Richard and Henry’s browsers can retrieve it and stuffit in yer post!
Seamus says
He was on Cerys Matthews 6music show this morning (no Danny Thompson unfortunately) playing 2 songs live (1 new one):
Starts at 1.37:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07184xb
hubert rawlinson says
Seeing then on Friday in Leeds. Now looking forward to it even more.
hubert rawlinson says
Just arrived, unfortunately unforeseen circumstances no Danny.
Neil Jung says
Did you enjoy the gig?
hubert rawlinson says
I did, I know some who left because there was no Mr Thompson. I must admit that Danny was the draw for me, but Ryley put on an excellent performance.
Neil Jung says
People left? Really? Idiots.
Vince Black says
I got a second row seat for this last night at Clitheroe Grand, a nice venue and a cracking show. Looked pretty much a capacity crowd by the time the headliners came on. I enjoyed Meg Baird to, particularly her choice of guitar tunings
On my way to the bar at half time, which incidentally came close to breaking the world worst service record, I came across the imposing figure of The Afterworder Formerly Known as Baron Harkonnen, now posting as AndYourBirdCanSing. We had a quick catchup. I dare say there were more Afterworders in attendance, I should have suggested a half time mingle
I think I first saw Danny Thompson play live in early 1970. He’s still got it. It must be great for Ryley to know that he can try pretty much anything, as Danny’s got it covered. The sound was good from where I was. Ryley got a big dynamic range out of his Guild acoustic, and Danny occasionally rattled the light fittings with a bottom string growl. I didn’t recognise much of Ryley’s set other than Primrose Green, and one other off that album. Whereas on his albums he sings a lot like Bert Jansch or John Martin, I detected a lot more of a Tim Buckley vibe during last night’s set. He played one long song which started with Danny on a fast bowed riff, and then tapping the strings close to the bridge with the end of his bow. It moved into a more jazzy spaced-out vibe. At one point Ryley came back to the mic with a verse of high pitched hum, building up to a yelp. Ok, maybe you had to be there, but it hit the spot for this listener. I think an appropriate choice of drummer would have made this even better but I recognise the downside of that in terms of touring cost, sound set up etc. Maybe next time, in bigger venues. But meantime, kudos to the promoters and Arts funders who put this tour together. Their efforts are much appreciated by this writer
Vince Black says
Again, this is a “maybe you had to be there” moment but it tickled me:-
Ryley – “You’re famous for your cheese up here right? But how do you pronounce it?”
Audience – “Cheeeeeeeeeese”
biggles says
It has come to my attention that their recent gig at Bush Hall is available on a certain *American coin/twelve* website…
…just sayin’.