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A night out with Richard Thompson

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Venue:

Symphony Hall, B’ham

Date: 03/06/2024

That Richard Thompson, RT, or, as our N’Orn correspondent would have it, Dickie Thompo, shows no sign of ignoring his cult status, yet again racking up more media mileage than many a better known artist might like. With his bon mots scattered across any number of media platforms, you would be unusual not to realise he has a new album out, barely weeks after attaining his three score years and fifteen. The thrill of that album, thrilling as it largely is, was eclipsed by the band he is touring it across the UK. Despite it being his now seemingly established electric trio with whom he made it, his focus of attention drummer, Michael Jerome, was otherwise engaged across the pond. So who better than to recruit old mucker, Dave Mattacks, a constant of his 90’s band, himself to an ex-Fairporter who has recently been propping up the old codgers for a third round of duty. Likewise, with Simon “Turn it up to 11” Tassano now retired, the occasional onstage second guitar slot was taken by his chip off th old block, grandson Zak Hobbs. (On which point, is this a first? By now we are well used to the children of the great joining their parent’s bands, something that seems totally contrary to the true rock experience. Hell, you are supposed to die before you get old, not brandish that fact in our faces.) Otherwise service as usual, with Taras Prodaniuk on bass and new(ish) squeeze/wife, Zara Phillips, not that one, taking on the Linda/Christine Collister position.
But first things first, with the support spot taken up by the excellent and effervescent Jim Moray, actually a repeat support, having filled that slot on the tour of twenty years back. Still clearly excited to be here, his forty minutes well-filled with mainly traditional offerings. Only with the first did he regale us with black box trickery, a small hand held gadget capturing snippets of his voice, chucking it all around and about his high and clear tenor. Thereafter he stuck to guitar and, for one song, banjo. “A bit folky” thought the chap next to me, I thought it marvellous, but I am, anyway, a fan, he possessing one of the finer voices in the canon, a yearning keen of no small range. His signature song of ‘Lord Douglas’ a highlight, another was his closer, a self-penned number about the gold disc, and what it contained, sent out on the USS Navigator space ship to regale any encountered alien life forms. It’s a terrific song.
Prompt on 8.30 out-trooped RT and compadres, Thompson dapper in his trademark balmoral, black jeans and a blue jacket. Gone is the slightly odd biker chic of the last tour, and it seems little desire to recreate the maritime whimsy of said new album, Ship to Shore’s cover art.. A red telecaster strapped on and we were off, straight into the new album, with What’s Left To Lose. With Hobbs on acoustic, the sound was a good balance, with all instruments clearly discernible in the mix. With the first guitar solo reeled off and fingers loosened up and untangled, Take Care The Road You Choose, a relative outlier, from Sweet Talker, swiftly followed. With Hobbs switching to electric, Thompson asked who was familiar with Bob Mould. A few were, or, maybe, the relatively polite audience were loath to admit such, but it was “his” version of Turning Of The Tide they then played, and it was a belter. The look of pride from Grandpa, as Hobbs unleashed his first solo was near worth the price of entry alone.
A goodnatured jibe around the cheer announcing the 50th anniversary of I Want To See The) Bright Lights Tonight album, given the pitiful response on release, introduced a rendition of Withered And Died. I think this is the first time I have heard him sing this song, sung by then wife Linda, on the disc, and it was a harsh and stark delivery, with his voice guttural and broken, harmonies from Phillips slightly ill-matched for the song. (To be fair, this was not the case elsewhere, as Phillips has clearly put in some practice. Clearly now more treasure than trophy, her singing was on the nose, her presence and acoustic guitar play signs of a more relaxed presence, what with the size of the boots to fill.) This was followed by Freeze, from the new one, featuring Hobbs on mandolin, and another relative rarity, Hard On Me, which provided an all guns blazing onslaught, Thompson and grandson trading licks with gusto. Prodaniuk, a bizarre figure, looking like Thompson’s elderly uncle, a classics professor at a cowboy ball, provided all the notes necessary, economical and effective. Mattacks, I have to say, up to this point was slightly muted. A solid metronome, clearly, there was little to draw the eye about his performance. Yet.
Al Bowlly is usually a staple in RT solo shows, it getting a rare band performance. Thompson now on acoustic, Prodaniuk’s electric bass mimicked an upright, and a deft solo contributed to that feeling. Another new on featured Hobbs as the main soloist, and he certainly hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Mind you, given one of his day jobs is transcribing the Thompson songbook for would-be players, one might guess he has to have some idea of the Thompson template. In fact, not since the days when Clive Gregson was in the band, has there been such an effective foil for the boss.
Now on his own for a spot, it was Beeswing that was played, suggesting Vincent Black Lightning has finally been put to rest, at least for a while. It was getting a bit inevitable, so no bad thing. One thing I did note, however, was the speed with which Thompson played. In the past he has often played it like a time trial. Slowed slightly back it made, and makes, for a much better song.
Band back on, the set continued with a mix of old and new. Man In Need shone brightly, but perhaps the highlight of the show, following the slight whimsy of new album “single”, Singapore Sadie, came John The Gun. This song, by Sandy Denny, first saw light on her Thompson produced debut, Northstar Grassman And The Ravens, and is powerful enough in her throat and hands. Tonight it was incandescent. Mattacks was now fully awake and restored, applying all his trademark thwacks and paradiddles, the pauses left hanging, followed by gavottes about the kit. Marvellous stuff, and would have you forget, in an instant, that it had actually been the recently deceased Gerry Conway on the original. As for Thompson, his voice was now at full holler and foreboding, and his guitar solo astonishing, mimicking that on the original, if applied through a filter of industrial metal. With nowhere left to go bar upward, it was with the delightful return of Tear Stained Letter into the set that they closed. Afgain, Thompson and Hobbs sparred solos, if Granpa got the final say, evoking wincing appreciation from the much younger man.
Old fashioned enough to leave the stage, when brought back, it was with Dimming Of The Day, solo, that Thompson returned. then, as the band returned, one of the gifts brought on a sparkly new 12 string electric, of which Thompson was clearly very proud. Bells Of Rhymney, the Pete Seeger via the Byrds song, came next, the tone of the instrument more a delight than the actual song, which seems always a little lumpen, ahead finally the left field choice of Jealous Words to close.

The audience:

Polite, as said, and a little slow to show their appreciation, most were closer to the ages of Thompson, Mattacks and Prodniuk than Phillips and Hobbs. That is how it is and seems increasingly my audiences. Hey ho!

It made me think..

Hobbs has a wedding ring. If he should produce an heir, can RT keep going long enough to include that bloodline too, in a future band? If Willie Nelson is still touring, at 91, anything is possible. I’ll be 83 when Thompson is 91, so let’s see if I’ll be then up to a review then, for the Afterword.

8

Comments

  3. Excellent write up, it was no bad thing that Michael Jerome wasn’t there previously I’ve spent time watching him and not Thompson.
    Saw the tour in Manchester with my son he managed to bring the age average down by probably a week. Oddly enough the last time he saw him was the 20 years ago when Jim Moray was support.

    And hurrah no Tassano (11 and a half volume) and no VBL.

  4. I did see on some other setlists for the tour that Vincent Black Lightening has been played on occasion in place of Dimming Of The Day. I’d prefer to hear the latter as I agree VBL has been played to death.

  5. We’re going to the Royal Albert Hall show on Saturday, which is being billed as a 75th birthday gig for Thommo with lots of ‘special guests’. Somehow I’ve never seen Neil Finn so I’m looking forward to ticking him off the list but for the most part I hope they stick to the set lists I’ve seen.

  6. I think he has only played VBL once on this tour and praise be for that as it has often been a distraction.
    I disagree with @retropath2 – I dont think this gig was anywhere near his best. Mattacks is a safe pair of hands but he is no Michael Jerome – I remember seeing Jerome solo on Al Bowlly’s in Heaven and it was a joy to behold. Last night Prodaniuk took the honours and Mattacks just shuffled the brushes without any real purpose.
    All of the reviews I saw before last night suggests stellar gigs. This one wasn’t stellar but produced enough highlights to ensure his reputation continues undiminished. And yes Zak was really impressive.
    One last thing The Symphony hall has gone from being the best venue in Birmingham to being lifeless. If it is not full (and it wasn’t) it is difficult for any artist to feed off the audience.

    • Hmmm, uncertain I agree. RT looked and seemed to be having more fun onstage than he sometimes can appear to be having, and I got off on that. In terms of best set, it was amongst my favourite of his full band shows, vying against the splendour of 199something, when Clive Gregson and Christine Collister were not only the support, but then popped up in the band too. I never much cared for the Pete Zorn years, I always finding him irritating in the extreme. The Prodaniuk/Jerome/Thompson trio I thought were very competent live, but a little sterile (and too loud!) Plus the “interference” of being unable to take eyes off Jerome’s ferocious technique.
      I was a little disappointed by Mattacks, in truth, but he restored faith eventually. Hobbs was great, as he was with his Auntie Kami, at Cambridge, 2016, with the Rails.

      • We obviously must agree to differ. I recall a gig with Pete Zorn where Zorn played baritone saxophone on Tear Stained letter that knocked spots off last nights performance of the same song.
        I also recall nights when there has been a massive standing ovation – last night there was a polite whimper and listening to the comments as I left the hall I certainly wasn’t the only one thinking it was something of a damp squib. I have seen him much more incendiary than that both acoustic and electric.

        • Pete Zorn’s set highlight was always his mandolin wig-out on Shoot Out the Lights. I found his sax playing easier to admire than enjoy, but if I had to save just one Richard Thompson album from a fire it would be the live Semi-Detached Mock a Tudor, and Zorn is all over that like a flatulent elephant.

  7. Lovely review of what sounds like a terrific gig.

    Shame he’s not doing Ireland this tour or I would
    have gone to see him for the fist time since his
    Aug 2019 acoustic dates here

    • @Jaygee I do agree. I thought the last one had some bite, probably stemming from the upheaval in his private life. But a couple of listens to the new one have drifted over me. And that cover is awful…..

  11. I see he mixed it up a bit in Brighton.
    They got Hand of Kindness, From Galway to Graceland and Meet on the Ledge.
    It’s not like him to have static setlists so maybe he was getting a bit bored.

  12. Thanks, a great review. I was at the Albert Hall show and loved it, but rather wished I’d also caught a full band show.

    One typo for you: ‘Take Care the Road You Choose’ is from ‘Sweet Warrior’, not his soundtrack to the film ‘Sweet Talker’. I’d never noticed the similarity of the album titles before.

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