Melody Maker, May 14, 1988: Difference between revisions
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Among all these were the reworked "New Amsterdam" incorporating "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," "Shipbuilding" itself and a host of others. | Among all these were the reworked "New Amsterdam" incorporating "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," "Shipbuilding" itself and a host of others. | ||
The Friday gig in Lerwick illustrated the strangeness of the whole event. Preceded by a mass of local fiddlers, Costello came on and shook the crammed, tiny theatre with an almost overwhelming amount of charisma. We're talking showmanship here, a certainty and sureness in performance which brooked no obstacle. Not even the many elderly locals there to see Irish fiddle legend Sean McGuire. The jokes, the timing, the "I looked like Johnny Cash... I looked like his sock" intro to "The Big Light," the shifts in mood from humour to political comment... it was impeccable. Then, of course, the Big Surprise. On he comes for the vociferously demanded encore. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce... Mr Nick Lowe!" Dear God, what's he doing here? It turns out auld Nick flew in for the day just to play one song with Elv. And it's their joint classic, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding." Everlies, eat your hearts out. The place just about explodes. | The Friday gig in Lerwick illustrated the strangeness of the whole event. Preceded by a mass of local fiddlers, Costello came on and shook the crammed, tiny theatre with an almost overwhelming amount of charisma. We're talking showmanship here, a certainty and sureness in performance which brooked no obstacle. Not even the many elderly locals there to see Irish fiddle legend Sean McGuire. The jokes, the timing, the "I looked like Johnny Cash... I looked like his sock" intro to "The Big Light," the shifts in mood from humour to political comment... it was impeccable. Then, of course, the Big Surprise. On he comes for the vociferously demanded encore. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce... Mr Nick Lowe!" Dear God, what's ''he'' doing here? It turns out auld Nick flew in for the day just to play one song with Elv. And it's their joint classic, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding." Everlies, eat your hearts out. The place just about explodes. | ||
What else can I tell you? About Costello's three gigs in one night on Sunday? About him accompanying a local country singer at a guitar workshop? It would be unfair not to mention some of the other artists — the folk roots experimentation and fire of Newcastle's Spektacle Cases, ex-Fairporter Simon Nicol's relaxed virtuosity. Ashley Hutchings of The Albion Band's patronising attitude to punters ("oh look — they're wearing modern clothes") and the astonishing Sean McGuire's incandescent fiddle playing. | What else can I tell you? About Costello's three gigs in one night on Sunday? About him accompanying a local country singer at a guitar workshop? It would be unfair not to mention some of the other artists — the folk roots experimentation and fire of Newcastle's Spektacle Cases, ex-Fairporter Simon Nicol's relaxed virtuosity. Ashley Hutchings of The Albion Band's patronising attitude to punters ("oh look — they're wearing modern clothes") and the astonishing Sean McGuire's incandescent fiddle playing. |
Revision as of 16:12, 23 February 2021
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