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(Belfast
and Dublin
Concert reviews are on Caesar Glebbeek's website) |
WORCESTER
- Huntington Hall - Monday 1st Nov '99
Concert review by Pete Jones
What - no postings on his UK
opening yet? It looks like I'm first, then.
The location was very unusual
- an old chapel (or something - my religious leanings are the
same as Loudo's, so I'm no expert), which was packed with pews
and people! The evening was announced by a girl who worked
for Huntington Hall (the proper name), who announced the evening
would be 40 minutes of Martha, a break, then an hour and a half
of Loudon. In the break there would be a raffle (no tea
and buns, though), proceeds to help them keep music at the venue.
Aren't we Brits quaint !!
I'm sad to say I thought Martha
was awful. Long rambling songs, mumbled in parts, swaying
away from the mike so the lyrics disappeared, and on one or two
numbers just strumming her guitar like a beginner - though to
be fair she did pick properly on a few others. I'm going
to Warwick on Thursday, and I'm afraid at the moment I think
I shall sit out her set in the bar.
I hated saying that. I
really wanted to like the daughter of "our hero", but
you have to call it as you see (or hear) it. I hope it
was just me (and another list member sat next to me, and the
rest of my party), and that most people liked her. I'd
be delighted to be shot down by fellow contributors, and put
it down to my tastes. Oh, one great moment in her set,
when her left leg suddenly arched up in true Wainwright fashion
- the people around me seemed somewhat perplexed at my sudden
laughter
The man himself was on reasonable
form. Not much feedback from the audience, so nothing for
him to work with except the venue. You will not be surprised
to know he had a little fun with that. He stopped in the
intro to one song (I think - or it may have been inbetween),
looked up at one of the exit signs (well lit, as they have to
be at public events), and said "Exit signs in a church -
kinda makes you think".
Not too much from Social Studies,
thank heaven (someone else can do socks and set list). His
cool life (he called it this, with a grin for those who knew
the cheesey version) is far more interesting. A new song,
which he said he was nervous about, a serious one about his parents,
especially his father - it was a little like he was displacing
some of his "inadequacies" on his dad. I need
to hear it again to work it out. Martha joined him for
a few songs, vocals only, and was very good. Dearest Daddy
was interesting -they both looked up kind of sheepishly when
the other was doing their half of the song. It's really
good to see they get on, and can agree to see somethings differently
to the other.
One final point. It was
the second time my partner had seen him (the other was Ronnie
Scotts, earlier this year, which was mainly a Social Studies
promo), though she doesn't listen to him inbetween (the kids
drown the lyrics !!). On the way home, she said she had
been in tears at a couple of his songs - one was "A Year"
(the only time I've seen you was about a year ago .....). Does
anyone else know of him having this effect?
Pete Jones
(Second Review
/ Further Comments)
WORCESTER
- Huntington Hall - Monday 1st Nov '99
Concert review by Chris Kelly
I didn't think Martha was that
bad, but I'd have to agree she was a disappointment. The
songs seemed to be a bit too 'adolescent' if you know what I
mean, and I think she was far too casual about her whole performance
- it just didn't look very professional. The ironic thing
is that when she accompanied Loudon she demonstrated that she
actually has a wonderful voice. She just doesn't make the
best use of it with her own material!
As for Loudon, I didn't note
the order of play so you'll just have to make to with a list
as best as I can remember. I thought it was a pretty good
performance with perhaps an unusally varied selection of songs.
Then again, maybe not..... So, not in the right order:
- Cardboard boxes (the opening
song)
- Tonya's Twirls
- New street people
- Shit Song
- So Damn Happy
- Primose Hill
- The Doctor (our big sing-along
moment)
- The Picture
- "...let's make you're mother
mad" (a new one)
- A Year 1994
- Red Guitar (on piano - Loudon
a bit rusty I thought)
- I'm Alright (a request)
- Father/daughter dialogue (with
Martha)
- Out of this world (with Martha)
- You Never Phone (with Martha)
- Homeless
- White Winos
- Motel Blues
- Living Alone
- Dreaming (a request)
- Y2K
- Old Paint (with Martha)
That makes 23, but I think I
might have missed one or two. As for the socks, can't help....
Chris Kelly
COVENTRY - Warwick Arts Centre - Thursday 4th Nov '99
Concert review by Ian Walker
Warwick Arts Funeral Parlour
4/11
I've not been to this venue before,
and maybe we sat too close to the stage, maybe it reminded my
of sitting in school hall / gymnasium, it certainly reminded
Loudon of a funeral parlour, the stage was edged with lilies
& other flowers of death, and maybe the sound was not all
it should have been, and maybe seeing the great man at Cambridge
earlier in the year when he was in fine form did not put me in
the best frame of mind for this gig. But after twenty odd
years, the Loudster did it for me again.
He didn't seem in the best of
moods, the hall and sound seemed to piss him off - he suffered
with his tuning just like Martha - but he overcame everything,
even the reserved audience to give me a wonderful night.
Although I've always appreciated
the track listings from gigs I never thought I'd tool up to do
one. Dutifully I packed a notepad & pencil. I decided
to note the songs in threes but by the fourth song I was so engrossed
I forgot to note anything. You guys who list all the tracks,
I take my hat off to you!
I can't remember them all but
. . .
- Bridge (opener about Valentines
Day)
- I'm Alright
- Suddenly it's Christmas
- Conspiracies
The Shit Song - this did not
go down well with an old girl in twin set & pearls on the
front row - "time flies when you fuck around"
- Let's make your mother mad
- Mr Guilty
- Red guitar - A Steinway no less
- The Man who Couldn't cry - a
request
- Your Mother & I
- 5 years old
- A father & a son - a backstage
request
- Tonya's twirls
- Between
- Father/Daughter Dialogue - avec
Martha
- You never phone - avec Martha
Then he introduced a couple of
songs from the McGarrigle hour. A song about being "on
the floor in Baltimore????" - this was not Baltimore Fire
- any ideas anyone? School Days - avec Martha who then
exits stage right.
- White Winos
- Primrose Hill
- Inaugural Blues
- Pretty Good Day
For his first encore he sang
a new song, he even had to read the lyrics from a notebook, about
his middle daughter, now 18, living somewhere in Ohio??, about
talking, but saying the wrong things, nice but needs more work.
Martha rejoined for Old Paint
& Out of this World,
and regardless of her own set,
her voice seemed to really gel with the old man's. At first
they seemed very respectful, but I think I spotted that "look"
between their eyes that only fathers & daughters have. Call
me an old romantic.....
No Y2K - has he given up on skunk
time returning?
Someone asked for Dead Skunk
but Loudon said it would cost the requester too much!
There were others - but 'sometimes
I forget' - please forgive me.
If you're dithering about going
to a gig, get out there, you won't regret it. Give Martha an
ear. I'd like to hear what you think.
Pip Pip
Ian Walker
PS You style gurus you.
Blue check shirt, grey braces,
DJ trousers, but the socks .. .... .... couldn't see them for
the monitors Sorry
PS I am colourblind
LIVERPOOL
- Neptune Theatre - Sunday 7th Nov '99
Concert review by Martin Maguire
Hey, it's only five months since
my last Loudon concert review, yet somehow I needed this 'Loudon
Fix' so badly. The last three times that I've seen him,
have been in Dublin, London and Belfast, so I thought I'd try
Liverpool this time. Actually the real reason I travelled over
here was that I've always had this ambition to go to a Loudon
Wainwight concert with Linda (Lindylu3), Loudon's number one
fan :-)
True to form, Linda was introducing
another new recruit to his music, her 11 year old daughter Jenny
(so Loudon owes her 'MEGA bigtime';-)).
Off we went, each with our Y2K
badges, me wearing Linda's prized 1987 LW3 official tour
T Shirt, Linda wearing one I designed for her, and Jenny with
another specially created design - a picture of Loudon, with
the words 'LW3 - the Next Generation. Jenny's very first
Loudon Wainwright III concert!!!
Even though there were three
list members at the concert, the 'job' of documenting it was
unceremoniously dumped onto me. Guess someone's gotta do,
though scribbling very brief notes in total darkness, and trusting
the rest to memory sure don't get any easier, even fourth time
round.
Just after eight, Martha Wainwright
walked onstage. I suppose I'd better start a new trend
and list *her* clothes too. Tight red long-sleeved top,
a shortish black skirt which seemed to have an identical split
up both sides and orange socks!
She seemed quite nervous (well,
I thought so anyway). She sang about 8 or 9 songs, finishing
with 'Year of the Dragon' from the 'McGarrigle Hour', which she
said was about the year 1976, when she was born. A few
songs earlier, she sang one about Christmas, referring to the
other Wainwrights and how they spent it (Rufus with Mom, having
a party for his friends, Dad with Lucy in New York - 'probably
thinking about Tracy'). Occasionally there were slight
Loudo mannerisms. At least one leg lift. Also, during
some of the guitar instrumental breaks she would tip her head
right back for a few seconds at a time, just like Dad.
The LWIII concert itself was
marred almost throughout by the loutish of four burly 'scouse'
drunks in their 40's or 50's who had front row seats in the centre
front stalls, just to the right of where we were sitting, and
who scarcely shut up all night. People were giving them
very dirty looks all evening. Loudon did eveything he could,
short of actually swearing at them. I doubt whether it
would have made any difference anyway - they were so sozzled,
they were impervious to ANY words. They should have been thrown
out by a bouncer.
Why do people like that even
bother attending concerts? And how come 'ligs' like that
always get the front row? Talk about a replay of the drunks
at Ronnie Scott's. Having been to that show as well, I
can assure you that this was easily ten times worse. If
any of those four are reading this review, you should be absolutely
ashamed of your 'behaviour'.
On with the review . . .
Just after 9pm, Loudon walked
onstage to loud(o) applause, and went straight into . . .
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1. |
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What Gives? - easily the most appropriate song for
his Liverpool concert, with the references to the Beatles, Gerry
(and his Pacemaker ;-)), and about being washed up on the "Mersey
shore". |
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2. |
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Grown Man
- followed (included the first 'leg
lift'). Wasn't one of my favourite songs initially, but,
if you excuse the pun, it really has 'grown' on me, and I know
think it's one of his best songs. After a wonderful ;-)
'tuning session' we got . . . |
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3. |
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So Damm Happy - with a kind of singalong, encouraging us to go
'na,na,na' etc along with the instrumental break.
Nearly forgot the clothes notes.
White shirt, grey braces and grey trousers (for US readers,
that's grey suspenders and grey pants). It was impossible
to see his socks, since the trouser legs were too long, even
partly covering his brown shoes, but Linda later confided to
me that they were black and white stripes. Said she noticed
them whenever he lifted his leg. Linda, by the way, was
the very first person to mention the colour of Loudo's socks
in a posting to the list. It's these sort of essential
details that make for interesting reading. Anyone have
notes on his undies? ;-))))
Better get back to the music
notes!! |
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4. |
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Suddenly It's
Christmas - Well, it
just HAD to be included. It was followed immediately by
. . . |
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5. |
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Conspiracies - The one about "you know who",
which Jen found very funny. The end was ruined byone of
the drunks. Just as Loudon paused before saying the final
words, one of the drunks yelled out "Santa Claus" at
the top of his voice. Loudon was not pleased!!!
For a few moments, he seemed
to be about to follow it with 'Christmas Morning', but then changed
tack and started talkin' about dear ole Tonya Harding. Mentioned
the Lillehammer, like, 'hammer' connection, and said she had
recently made a comeback and he happened to see a picture of
her in a little skirt with what he claimed had a little 'holster'
- for her hammer. Not sure *what* he was on about. Anyway
. . . |
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6. |
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Tonya's Twirls - It's one of my favourites, since first
hearing it at a 1995 concert in Belfast. He said it was
from his new CD 'Social Studies' and that he had "crates
of them outside in the lobby to flog and sign". Said
they "make great drinks coasters. Buy six and protect your
table". |
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7. |
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4 x 10 - One of
my all-time favourite songs from the History CD. He stopped after
two lines because of two of the drunks clicking their fingers
to it. He gave then a very hard look, said "I can
do without that, thank you", then began from the start of
the song again. As it finished, one of the drunks yelled
"you're the man" - Loudon replying, "I know, that's
why I had to chastise you". |
|
8. |
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Bed - An 'unrecorded' song that he has been
playing at concerts for just over a year now. Has the memmorable
line "Who cam say what we just did / Made some whoopee or
a kid".
Next the "song about Phone sex" . . . |
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9. |
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Number One - a great version, then Loudon said
he'd "raise the 'level' because there were a number of children
in the audience", adding "one of them's mine"
(referring to Martha).
The most obvious song (with the
line 'Happy Birthday Martha') followed . . . |
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10. |
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Five Years Old - Another all-time favourite of mine.
The 'obnoxious drunks' were still constantly yelling for
'Primrose Hill' and 'Housework' between *every* song. It
was very obvious that Loudon was getting fed up with them. Ignoring
them, he said that he "received a note backstage, requesting
'Bein' A Dad' for 9 year old Benjeman Marsh", so that's
what he played next . . . |
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11. |
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Being A Dad - The drunks kept yelling for their
requested songs. Totally ignoring them, he played the beautiful
. . . |
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12. |
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Homeless - An absolute classic song - this has
*gotta* be on the next CD. Before 'White Winos' came along,
'Homeless' seemed to be the most mentioned 'unrecorded song'
on the 'Mailing list'. Then Martha came onstage, for the
next five songs. |
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13. |
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You Never
Phone - Performed as
a kind of pouting / comedy number. As the song finished,
the Drunk yelled "You're beautiful my lady", and LW
glared over (certainly not good humouredly) and said "Hey,
watch your mouth".
Loudon decided to tell an anecdote
about some concert he did in the Virgin Islands. Martha
was with him, but at 14, not singing yet. He went to this
town to do a show and discovered that the audience was mainly
made up of sailors who had been away from port for about 6 months.
Naturally he was again interrupted by the Drunk, who yelled,
"I'm a sailor". Loudon grinned (more like glared)
and said, "somehow I kinda knew that". Loudon
tried to to continue the story, "well the audience was full
of DRUNKEN ASSHOLES" (a line that got great applause from
everyone). It didn't bother the drunk, who carried on shouting.
Loudon added "behave yourself, or there'll be no autographs
when you buy your CD". Eventually, we got back to
the music, with Martha and 'Loud' duetting on . . . |
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14. |
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Father / Daughter
Dialogue - A beautiful
version, with Martha acting all coy and 'little girlish' as she
sang "Dearest Daddy".
Next, one of the highlights of
the show, the 'Song For Linda' ;-))) Several times she's
asked Loudon to play 'Come A Long Way'. First time was
February '99 in Massachusetts - he said he'd have to relearn
the song. When I mentioned Linda's name in June (after
the Ronnie Scott's gig) he recalled being asked by Linda about
the song, then at LA (in September), she mentioned it again,
and told him she'd see him in Liverpool in 6 weeks time.
For those who are wondering,
it's not a song which Linda wrote (!). It's a 1973 song
which was written by ex-wife Kate McGarrigle and was on the 'Attempted
Mustache' album.
When Loudon began to talk about
the next song, saying it was from 1973, and "Martha and
I had just finished rehearsing it", I just knew it was coming
next. As the opening jangling chords of this beautiful
song were played Linda and I exchanged looks of delight. I
looked at her again during the song and there was a big smile
on her face. Her Guy!!! |
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15. |
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Come A Long Way - How about that folks! An extremely
rarely played song, relearned, rehearsed, and arranged in two
part harmony - just for Linda!!! It was a truly magical
occasion. As the song finished and the audience gave it
a great response, Loudon said "That's for Linda, that one".
Time for a 'plug' for 'The McGarrigle Hour' CD, which "features
a lot of my family members. Here's the song I wrote on
it" and he played . . . |
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17. |
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Green Green Rocky
Road - was the last of
the 5 songs with Martha, a jaunty little song which I had not
played live before. Unfortunately it was pretty well ruined by
two of the Scouse drunks, who VERY loudly clapped ALL through
the song, drowning out Martha's verses. Martha then left
the stage so that Loudo could sing about the time he hit her
;-)) - |
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18. |
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Hitting You - then someone in another part of the hall yelled
out about the "world being a bundle of shit". Loudon
took the quite subtle (!) hint, and played . . . |
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19. |
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The World - with a guitar backing. Last
time he played this in Dublin (2 years ago) it was with the ole
ukelele.
Next, an unrecorded song which
I'd never heard live (only on a 'tape' ;-)) . . . |
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20. |
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So Good So
Far - the very humourous
ditty written about his guitar - how it's stuck by him no matter
how badly it's been treated by him. Lots of laughter as
it includes (apparently) the first notes he ever learned - the
theme to the 'Third Man'.
Then, he finally gave in to the
yells from the 'main drunk', and played his request ('Primrose
Hill'). If it had been me, I'd certainly not have done
so. |
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21. |
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Primrose Hill - Loudon had just played the first line
when he stopped and took a swig from a bottle of Heineken on
the the table beside him. Began it again, following with
. . . |
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22. |
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White Winos - Loudon remarked "that's what
happens when I drink my beer. I start to sing alcohol songs".
It was a great version, of what has been the most talked
about 'unrecorded song' in recent posts. It must be a 'cert'
for the next album, emmm, CD.
Loudon then talked about travelling
from Newark (the previous night's gig) and had seen the 'Magical
Mystery Tour' bus as he arrived in Liverpool that afternoon (I
had been on the tour the previous day). He said he'd also
been reading the paper about the news item that "John Lennon
had been voted the best songwriter of the Millennium (past 1000
years)". Ruefully joking that he hadn't figured anywhere
in the poll, he said that "since he was here in Liverpool,
this song was such an appropriate one to sing." He
added that he was "just down the block at a recording studio
when that awful event happened." |
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23. |
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Not John - This was a very moving performance
of a quite rarely performed song. With that, he left the
stage to great applause, but was soon back for the encore.
First of these songs was a totally
new one. No idea of the idea, couldn't even make a guess
at it. Only lines I remember were 'when I say I love you'
and 'when I sing I love you.' Oh well . . . |
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24. |
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Things -
A brand new, unrecorded song. Martha skipped back
onto the stage for a rousing singalong of 'Dead Skunk', Loudon
urging everyone to "clap you hands". |
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25. |
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Dead Skunk - Loudon introduced the next one saying
it was written by Kate in 1971. 'The Drunk' awoke out of
his stupour to yell "I was two then". Loudo grinned
(through his teeth???) and said "All of a sudden I kind
of like you - just the thought of you in a nappy full of shit".
Nice one Loudo!!! |
|
26. |
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Old Paint - Again, another nice duet with Martha.
And that was all folks. |
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We filed into the Foyer
and Loudon was already there, chatting and signing CDs. He asked
is there a table or something to sign them on? None was produced,
so I went back into the theatre and grabbed his 'drinks table'
from the stage and brought it back for him. I think he
was pleased. By that time Martha had also arrived and quite
a few people were chatting to her.
Loudon looked up and saw Linda
and said "Hi Linda, I sang your song for you". Linda
smiled back at him happily. This was my second time of
meeting the 'ole Loudo' - but he seemed less chatty, more distant.
Both Linda and I thought he really
didn't want to be there, that the CONSTANT heckling had really
annoyed him. Someone asked about the Y2K single, where
would you get it? Loudon (surprising?) immediately suggested
the Internet. I think he might be a phantom 'lurker', travelling
with a laptop in his suitcase.
I asked him whether he was doing
any TV / Radio. He said no TV, but mentioned recording
the Andy Kershaw session on 22nd November. Also mentioned a radio
session in Dublin, then seemed to backtrack, that he'd decided
not to do that one.
He was just about to go, so I
said to him that line I always meant to say to him. "The
List sent me". He repeated the words "The LIST?",
very solemnly, grinned, and then he was away.
Probably though I was 'some nut'.
Probably right too!!!
- 'What the
hell / What the heck'
- (from the Suicide
song by Loudon Wainwright III)
-
- Martin Maguire
|
LONDON - Shepherds Bush Empire - Wednesday 10th Nov '99
Concert review by Dave Nicholson
Just back from a damn fine outing
of the old Loudo - with only one awkward audience moment and
a bird's eye view from the gods.
Sorry it's straight off the cuff
(with a few notes) as I've got to be up in five hours!
Another sorry, cos I didn't see
his socks Linda (but I think the garb was similar to the Liverpool
review. Braces were grey).
Very late arrival - didn't expect
to make the gig so arrived ticketless and picked up at the box
office. I was on the third tier which was ninety per cent
full. So assume downstairs was packed too.
Martha played a lovely set, around
six songs, with some real animation in the voice. Nice
touch of the Wainwright wit in a line something like: "
Come inside my door - that's a metaphor" I thought
she sounded fresh with a sensational voice. But I love
the McGarrigle timbre - though I know it's not everyone's taste.
(Comparisons with Rufus are unfair too. Unfair on
both of them, though I thought his album was one of the highlights
of last year's releases.)
Loudon on stage spot on time
9pm.
Set list
1. He's nothing if not topical:
"This one's for Gary Glitter!" (for US listers, Gary
is a superannuated glam rocker currently in court on a charge
of sex with an underage girl (now aged 34) who was his alleged
lover for ten years). Didn't recognise the song (and I
thought I knew them all...but, like Loudon, sometimes I forget...
or it was a new one. Lyric: "Go ahead love me..make
your mother mad" all about sex and love between older man
much younger woman.
2. Therapy: You need a mum, I
need a dad". Joke about cost of therapy - "90
dollars an hour. That was written in 1988 and it's now
135 dollars - for FORTY-FIVE minutes". This really
did seem to be based on personal experience!
3. Suddenly It's Christmas. Got
a fair few laughs from those hearing LW for first time. Small
moment with over-active photographer snapping away. Loudon jokes
he's got to get off to make the morning edition.
4. Conspiracies. Breaks
off about three-quarter way through as some audience member appears
to have trouble finding seat - or in argument with wife (couldn't
tell from my lofty position) - a mobile phone also goes off.
Exasperated Loudon says: "You know, you've ruined this recitation."
Picks up the lyric again - and finishes. The only
bit of audience trouble all night. At this point Loudon seemed
in mellow mood, so it was quickly forgotten.
5 Tonya's Twirls. Fine
song, much better live than the over produced CD version. (Though
I like Chaim's backing vocals most of the time) "Last
time I was here I was doing Wogan" (UK Chat show host)
6 So Damn Happy. "Now
for some family songs..."
7 Between. Repeats the
line "You are stuck ..." three times. And leaves
nice pause for "What happens when we die"....looks
upwards: "Anybody?" Plays for laughs but makes a point,
as ever.
8. The Picture. Tender
and lovingly delivered.
9. This Song Don't have A Video.
Intros it with reference to Geri Halliwell single video
(which I haven't seen), saying that he's pleased that midgets
have made a comeback in videos again. "They used to
be everywhere...then nothing. Now Geri's brought them back
again" Loudon on top form - really seeming to enjoy
his own jokes and an appreciative (if somewhat quiet) audience.
He even works midgets into the last verse of the song.
Reminds us that he also appeared in the theatre when it
used to be the BBC live theatre, for a Derek Jameson show. "the
guy with terrible teeth". (US listers note: Jameson
was a preposterous downmarket red-top newspaper editor with a
loud mouth and an East End Cockney style who did a man-of-the-people
type radio show and a chummy TV show in the 1980s - he'd make
Dick Van Dyke look like, well, Dick Van Dyke. What Loudon
was doing on the show is anyone's guess.) Also reminded
us that he was on Jasper Carrott show when he sang the next song
live to a UK audience of 10 million..
10 You Don't Want TO Know: The
one about how cold it was when he lived in London. "Colder
than a witch's tit, colder than a polar bear's nose."
11 Harry's Wall. Followed
by lots of audience request, shouts "There's just a wealth
of material..."
"Now let's do one together...and
if you don't do it with gusto and enthusiasm I'll do Kumbaya...
12 I went to the Doctor (Audience
participation was none too loud, so Loudo slipped in the Kumbaya
line: "Someone's singing, Lord.."
13 Your Mother And I
14. I'm Alright (Gag during the
instrumental bridge about joining John Mayall's Bluesbreakers,
whose poster was to be seen in the foyer)
15 Five Years Old Intro to bring
Martha back on stage for five numbers.
16 Father Daughter Dialogue.
Much better live than the album version. Lots of paternal
glow and emotional interplay. One of my least favourite
of Loudon's songs transformed into a special moment. The
wonder of a live show.
17. Didn't catch the title.
New song to my ears. Similar in tone to Dialogue: Alternating
lines: "You never write you never phone....You never phone
you never write" Neat ditty about missed birthdays and absent
parenting and each blaming other for shortcomings.
18 Come A Long Way. False
start for two strums till Loudon acknowledges Martha's glance
and says: "Oh yes, we agreed to do it in a different key..."
(a higher key, and faster tempo)
19 School Days. As fresh
and brilliant as ever. Nice backing vocals.. two or three
mentions of the McGarriggle Hour album .
20 Green Rocky Road, which they
both seemed to love singing. For a moment we were almost
in on their living room singalong. Charming. Martha leaves
stage.
Says he'll do some requests...
21 Tip That Waitress. (Slight
stumble over the line about the uniform being too tight..recovers
well and new listeners near me seemed impressed.
22 Westchester County. ("All
the towns in that part of New York State have Indian names. I
was born in Cotoma (?) which is Indian for Dysfunctional Town... The
Clintons are planning to buy a place in Chappaqua (?) about ten
miles from where I grew up. Chappaqua means Party Town..."
23 Unhappy Anniversary. Races
through this a little. It's the last request song and he
turns down shouts for The Acid Song . "I need another $75
to do the Acid Song"
24 Outrageous version of Surfing
Queen, which I had all but forgotten about. Last verse
had him carressing her stiffening dead body and waxing it before
going out to ride the waves, using his deceased as a surfboard.
I'd forgotten this bit - or was it a new over-the-top verse?
25 Next was an absolutely brilliant
song about his dead mother. Didn't work out the title,
but it was packed with a number of lines, any one of which could
have moved one to tears. " When you were alive there
was always somewhere called home"..."I feel that I've
faked all that I did.." Incredibly raw and tender. This
was Loudon's stripping his feelings bare with searing honesty.
It was incredibly demanding to listen to and stunningly
powerful. Some lister recently wrote that his mother's
death appeared to have hit him hard. I couldn't agree more.
I guess this was the song...
26 White Winos. Even better
than I remembered it from the Ronnie Scott's gig a few months
back.
27. Y2K. Not too keen on
this, but audience liked it. I much prefer his cheesy life.
ENCORE I "It's not on the
new album, but it was on a Johnny Cash album which is a kind
of a blast (?)..
28 The Man Who Couldn't Cry.
Even darker delivery than usual. No playing for laughs,
not even on the "dehydrated and died" line, until the
'heaven' section...
29. Martha rejoins for Out Of
This World. Bleak idea, but strangely uplifting song. "It's
almost time now. It's almost over..Soon I'll be dead and
gone" First live hearing of this for me. Real feeling
that here is an artist who only just manages to keep his sanity
together and he is his own worst enemy and that death really
will be a release for him into a 'better world'. If we
didn't know him better, we might mistake this yearning for some
kind of religious hope...
ENCORE II
30 Dead Skunk. With Martha.
(mid chorus..."Oh I made so much money in Nineteen
Seventy.....")
ENCORE III
31 Motel Blues 32 Men.
Not too much from Social Studies,
though Tonya's Twirls would stand up in its own right away from
the millstone of 'topicality'. All in all another great
night, fortunately not damaged by Loudon's usual mad drunks.
Humorous and sombre, upbeat and wry, loving and self-hating,
confused and focused, self-possessed and uncertain. Martha's
presence adding to a fascinating atmosphere. It was like
seeing a family friend take her first steps. Loudon's absolutely
at the peak or trough of some kind of emotional crest - and I
don't think he can keep up this level of intensity for much longer.
Time was, in 1973/4, that watching Loudon was a roller coaster
from self-deprecation and outrageous humour through almost cruel
dissection of relationships and back up the other side with a
laugh and some telling insight. The laughs are still there,
but like familiar friends, we know most of the jokes - and like
them a lot - but the emotional depth seems somehow even more
real live on stage now as he tumbles into the middle of middle
age. It may have been the case, as in Dialogue, that the
guy singing wasn't him (not that we ever believed that). There's
no doubt now that this is somehow the authentic Loudon - even
more honest, almost regretful. If you are in two minds whether
to see this tour, beg borrow or steal to get there - it really
is like nothing he's played for many a long year. I won't
even try to say if it was best or where it ranks - this was Loudon
on some new kind of level. Brilliant and funny but sometimes
emotionally courageous, edgy, genuinely scary at times, and deeply
affecting.
David Nicholson, Bromley UK
BASINGSTOKE
- The Anvil - Friday 12th Nov '99
Concert review by Adrian New
Aah Basingstoke, just as I imagined
it.....
.......so said Loudon as he took
the stage of The Anvil Concert Hall on Friday night.
The show got off to a very rocky
start. He opened with Being a Dad which he said was for Elizabeth
who was three and in the audience that night. He forgot a line
half way throught but received an audience prompt, but then the
last verse totally eluded him and he apologised saying he'd have
to come back to that one. But he didn't.
During the next song, I'm Alright,
he started to get lots of distortion through his monitor which
he described as a "sonic emergency", so decided to
move to Martha's mike, on his right. Her monitors sounded OK.
He got half way through One Man Guy then stopped the song and
exploded "Why did you do that? You've fucked it up! Why
didn't you leave it alone. You Asshole!" at the sound guy.
He finished the song and then smiled at the audience, realising
that he had gone way over the top. He alluded to this later on,
at the point where he started taking requests, saying "You've
been very nice. I think I frightened you earlier. Is there anything
you would like to hear?"
So my fears were enormous after
this outburst that this was not going to be a great show, but
the explosion was obviously cathartic as he soon calmed down
and performed a really strong set with a good selection of new
material. I'm delighted to say the audience were perfectly behaved,
(no-one dared say a word after the earlier moment!) and, for
those who need to know, THE SOCKS WERE TURQUOISE.
I enjoyed Martha's contribution
to her father's set far more than her own, and I wasn't moved
to buy her CD. As I believe others have commented, she seems
more relaxed as the backing vocalist to her old man than taking
the spotlight on her own. Disappointed that they didn't sing
The End has Begun together, as that is one of my favourites,
but she made a strong contribution to the seven songs she performed
on.
Very excited to see the Steinway
piano on the stage, used only once for Red Guitar, which was
a highlight for me. Also really enjoyed Between, which he punctuated
and acted in a way I hadn't seen before. He repeated the line
"You are stuck" three or four times as if playing old
vinyl, and made a great play of the Father being on high, and
Mother (Earth) below, pointing repeatedly to each. There seemed
to be a meaning here, but surely that isn't where he thinks his
own mother and father are now?
I'd have to disagree with the
earlier comments that the Make Your Mother Mad song is about
a sexual relationship between an older man and a younger woman.
The first verse can be interpreted that way, but then it turns
into a battle between Loudon and Kate, with Kate being "mad"
that Martha is so close to her father. The final verse was a
warning to Martha that one day she may have a husband and a daughter.
The husband may leave her, breaking her heart, but that won't
stop Martha's daughter "making her mad" by staying
close with her Dad. Sorry - that's a really cack-handed explanation,
but it sums up the song! And its a great song at that.
As is You Never Phone, which
seems a purpose built duet to share with his daughter (like Father
Daughter Dialogue). Both parties never phone, never write, never
remember birthdays, but frustrating though this is to both of
them, the bond is still there. I hope that's a centre piece to
the new album.
This was my first hearing of
Out of Reach. It seems like a follow-up to OGM. The old relationship
is beyond the stage that they can't bear to speak to each other
on the phone. Now they can, but what isn't said is far more important
than what is. Take into account a lyric in one of Martha's songs
"Dad will be in New York with Lucy(?) but thinking about
Tracey", and you can form a picture of the relationship
that it's about.
I was very pleased to get my
request (Aphrodisiac) which Loudon really seemed to enjoy singing.
I guess he didn't think ten years ago when he wrote it that one
day his opening act would be his own daughter!
My wife and I stayed for the
signing in the foyer, as did many others from the just-over-half
full hall. Whilst signing Social Studies for me, I asked why
he only played one song from it. The answer: "Because I'm
sick of it!" Honest, if nothing else. Nicola offered him
BBC Sessions and commented on Dead Skunk. He said "I don't
know why I played that. I never do! It's weird"
A guy in front of us gave Loudon
a CDR he had made labeled "Loudon TV Appearances 1978"
Was that one of you guys? What would this material have been?
Loudon seemed pleased with the gift, yelling in mock horror "A
bootleg, a bootleg!"
So a great night, a good selection
of songs, and confirmation that the vast majority of the population
that have never heard of the Old Loudo just don't know what they
are missing.
Setlist (1 hour 35 minutes) 1.
Being a Dad 2. I'm Alright 3. One Man Guy 4. Overseas Call 5.
Suddenly its Christmas 6. Tonya's Twirls 7. Out of Reach 8. Between
9. The Picture 10. The Shit Song 11. Unhappy Anniversary 12.
Your Mother and I 13. Make Your Mother Mad 14. Red Guitar (with
piano) Martha enters 15. Father/Daugter Dialogue 16. You Never
Phone 17. School Days 18. Come A Long Way 19. Green Rocky Road
Martha leaves 20. April Fools Day Morn (request) 21. Aphrodisiac
(request) 22. Swimming Song (request) 23. IWIWAL (request) 24.
Tip That Waitress (request) 25. White Winos encore: 26. The Man
Who Couldn't Cry (request) 27. Dead Skunk 28. Out of this World
Adrian New, Southampton, UK
LEEDS - City Varieties Theatre - Saturday 13th Nov '99
Concert review by Marshall
Stevenson
The City Varieties Theatre was
sold out. Approximately 500 were inside. Loudon did a set
that I felt was a little close to cruise control, only two requests
and a fair smattering of fluffs, both verbal and instrumental.
He did mention the previous nights gig in Basingstoke a
few times in fairly derogatory manner, though this may have been
the fact that it is 230 miles away and he seemed not to have
enjoyed the trip from there to Leeds.
I have been lucky enough to see Loudon at least once each year
since '95, but for some unknown reason he always seems to play
around here in October /November. Each time we get to hear
the same "seasonal" songs - Thanksgiving, Suddenly
It's Christmas, You Don't Want To Know. This tour he was
not even promoting his "new product" - only three tracks
from Social Studies. So for me the duet stuff with Martha
came as a breath of fresh air, sure it was loose, but it was
previously unheard live. So , not the best ever, but still
a night to remember.
Sartorially Loudon could not
be faulted, Martha appeared to have used the sails from the Mayflower
for her trousers.
Setlist
- 1. I Eat Out
- 2. Thanksgiving
- 3. Suddenly its Christmas
- 4. I'm Alright
- 5. What Gives
- 6. Carmine Street
- 7. He Said She Said
- 8. So Many Songs
- 9. Between
- 10. The Picture
- 11. Four Mirrors
- 12. The Shit Song
- 13. Five Years Old
Martha enters
- 14. Father/Daughter Dialogue
- 15. You Never Phone
- 16. School Days
- 17. Come A Long Way
Martha leaves
- 18. Unhappy Anniversary
- 19. You Don't Want To Know
- 20. Natural Disaster(request)
- 21. Make Your Mother Mad
- 22. Talkin Bob Dylan(request)
- 23. White Winos
- 24. Beach ??
- 25. Y2K
- 26. Hard Day On The Planet
- 27. Dead Skunk (with Martha)
- 28. Old Paint (with Martha)
Marshall Stevenson
(Second Review
/ Further Comments)
LEEDS - City Varieties Theatre - Saturday 13th Nov '99
Concert review by Alan Kershaw
Many thanks to Marshall for giving
a complete set list - I wrote mine in biro on a piece of paper
that was shiny on one side, lesson learned.
The City Varieties was used as
the venue for "The Good Old Days" on TV, and is narrow
(16 seats to a row) and has a Circle and a Balcony, with mountains
of red velvet and gilt ornamentation. Total capacity just
over the 500, and a sell-out for the Wainwright Family. Martha
came on at around 20.30. I had previously heard her in
Leeds with the McGarrigles as a backing singer, with Rufus as
the opening act and she had not made much of an impression on
that occasion. This time she seemed to start all her songs
with gusto and clearly has a good voice but then lost her way
in the middle of each song. They were all her own compositions
- (using her "own" chords !!) but we felt that she
found it difficult to sustain the power throughout. Overall
none of us felt the need to buy the CD, even though I suspect
she will come over much better in a studio setting.
Loudon came on around 21.20,
after an overlong interval (I suspect to maximise the bar sales)
and I felt he was on pretty good form. The theatre setting
didn't lend itself overmuch to audience participation but as
I get older I appreciate more and more the chance to listen to
Loudon singing, as opposed to drunken heckling and (worse) the
loud tuneless singalong of the guy behind me (that b**t**d seems
to follow me around). After Suddenly It's Christmas, Loudon
asked if there were any under-7's in the audience, and it seemed
as if he was going to do the Father Christmas / Jesus monologue,
but then launched into I'm Alright instead.
I was a bit surprised that Marshall
thought there were a lot of "fluffs" in the performance.
I felt it was one of the best performances I have seen.
(I was going to start a thread a few weeks ago to see if anyone
had seen any Loudon gig without a serious sound failure or lyric
blindness)
The songs with Martha were a
joy, and I hope the next CD has her on it as well.
Cheers
Alan Kershaw
SOUTH SHIELDS
- The Custom House - Sunday 14th Nov '99
Concert review by Terry Kelly
A master of stagecraft, Loudon
Wainwright lll provided a brilliant overview of his 30-year career
for a capacity South Shields audience. A songwriting surgeon
of dysfunctional families, it was perhaps fitting that Wainwright's
daughter and sometime verbal and physical sparring partner, Martha,
provided the support and later some harmony vocals for her illustrious
dad.
Possessing the sort of razor-sharp wit and timing other singers
can only dream about, the man once hilariously dubbed "the
male Melanie" dipped into his extensive back catalogue for
a wonderful 26-song set which brought rapturous applause from
a crowd of Wainwright aficionados, who kept him on his toes with
a series of requests and friendly heckles.
The opener, a new song called
'All About the Miles', set the tone for a concert during which
the 53-year-old American singer-songwriter stretched both himself
and his audience. After fluffing a line or two, the man
affectionately known as 'Loudo' or 'Loud' to his die-hard fans
admitted he was treating us as "guinea pigs" as he
road-tested this new number about the dangers and delights of
travel.
The more familiar chords of 'Be
Careful There's a Baby in the House', from his 1971 second album
on Atlantic followed, it's vision of domestic distress being
a million miles from Mothercare, and never failing to raise a
laugh: "Ah, the coochie coochie coo is a lotta pooh-pooh,
when you spread it on that thick."
Loudo's anti-blues, 'I'm Alright',
was followed by 'Tonya's Twirls', from his latest album of satirical
songs, Social Studies (Hannibal/Rykodisc). Then came 'A
Year', a moving, bitter-sweet tale about a man's failure to take
responsibility for a new baby. This song seemed to push
Wainwright's performance into top gear, a frantic version of
'Suddenly It's Christmas' being followed by the brilliantly delivered
'Conspiracies', a spoken poem from the new album, pitching Santa
Claus against the Virgin Birth, before a full-throated rendition
of the unaccompanied 'Between'. The moving childhood recollection
of 'The Picture' evoked an attentive hush from the Customs House
audience.
I'd waited more than 20 years
to hear a live version of 'Prince Hal's Dirge', from his 1976
T Shirt album, so it was a spine-tingling moment when he moved
to the piano and pounded out the opening chords. A definite
highlight.
Loudon invited his daughter,
Martha, back on stage for duets on 'Father/Daughter Dialogue',
a new song, 'You Never Write, You Never Phone', 'School Days',
a version of 'Come A Long Way', by Martha's mother and Loudon's
ex-wife, Kate McGarrigle, and finally, 'Green Green Rocky Road'.
Martha safely offstage, her father
launched into 'Hitting You', a powerful song about slapping his
daughter after some heated verbals in a car. The close
proximity of the target for Loudon's recollected anger made for
some complex performance cross-currents.
The shouted requests produced
great versions of 'Surfing Queen', 'I Eat Out', 'Hospital Lady',
'Rufus Is a Tit Man' and Loudo's moving new song about his late
mother, 'White Winos.
He encored with 'A Father and
A Son', 'Out of This World' and a clap-along version of his solitary
1972 hit, 'Dead Skunk', before we tumbled into the cold night,
uplifted by yet another great Loudon Wainwright concert.
Song List:
1. All About the
Miles
2. Be Careful There's A Baby in the House
3. I'm Alright
4. Tonya's Twirls
5. A Year
6. Suddenly It's Christmas
7. Conspiracies
8. Between
9. The Picture
10. The Doctor
11. T.S.D.H.A.V.
12. Prince Hal's Dirge
13. Father / Daughter Dialogue
14. You Never Write / You Never Phone
15. School Days
16. Come A Long Way
17. Green Green Rocky Road
18. Hitting You
19. Surfing Queen
20. White Winos
21. I Eat Out
22. Hospital Lady
23. Rufus Is a Tit Man
Encores:
24. A Father and A Son
25. Out of This World
26. Dead Skunk
Terry Kelly
GLASGOW - Cottier Theatre - Tuesday 17th Nov '99
Concert review by Daniel Harris
Just returned from a very enjoyable
night with big Loudo.
Venue:
Glasgow's Cottier Theatre venue,
while providing good acoustics was very draughty and also was
in poor condition, not really important but it did mar the experience
slightly. Loudon also had to register several complaints
regarding his monitors which he had the previous evening. A
technician attempted to resolve the problem while Loudon switched
to a second microphone, the monitors continued to play up and
Loudon was forced on several occasions to move to the second
microphone.
Supporting Act:
Martha Wainwright IMHO was awful,
having read previous reviews I was prepared not to prejudge.
However, her voice was extremely gravely and was very annoying.
Her guitar playing was reasonable but overall I thought
she was a poor warm-up act and was glad when she exited the stage
after thirty minutes. The only redeeming factor was her cousin
Lily who when she was allowed to sing, again IMHO, was far better
than Martha.
The Man Himself:
Loudon was wearing grey trousers
with matching braces and a black/blue and white shirt. Sorry
no info on SOCKS they were hidden were tan and white.
The performance was heckler free
and everyone seemed to have a really good night. Loudon
verbally sparred with the crowd making references to the Scottish
soccer teams results which were being screened at the theatres
bar. I'm not sure if any other list members were in attendance
but the show did go down well with Loudon playing for about two
hours. The crowd however, only managed to get one encore.
A partial set list follows and is simply in the order I
remember them. If any other list members were there and
can add to the list of songs please do so.
White Winos - Surfin Queen -
April Fools Day Morn - IWIWAL - Human Cannonball - Between -
4X10 - The Picture - Happy Birthday Elvis - What Gives? - Tonya's
Twirls - Colours - Father/Daughter Dialogue - I Am The Way -
Homeless - Old Paint - Suddenly Its Christmas - Thanksgiving
- TSDHAV - School Days - So Good So Far
Daniel Harris
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