Richard Thompson may not be a household name but the main auditorium at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday was nearly full to capacity. But before I continue on my review of his concert let me give you a quick biography.
He was born in London in 1949. His father was an amateur guitarist and Richard was exposed to jazz, rock and roll and folk throughout his early years. He co-founded the folk rock band Fairport Convention aged 18 and they released two albums. During this time he came to be regarded as an outstanding guitarist (he was in the top 20 of Rolling Stone‘s Top 100 Guitarists of All Time). His first solo album in 1972 - Henry the Human Fly - was a critical and commercial failure. In fact it is Warner Bros worst selling album, ever. Something which Thompson mentioned proudly during the concert. Throughout the 1970’s and early 80’s he collaborated with his then wife Linda, releasing albums that were generally well received on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Their marriage and musical partnership ended in the early 80’s and Richard has toured and recorded solo ever since, accumulating a loyal fan base over the years.
I have seen Richard twice before in concert and he was electrifying. Last year he covered songs from ‘a thousand years of popular music’, starting with medieval ballads and working his way right through to pop classics such as ‘Money, Money, Money’, all delivered with his distinctive and creative aplomb. Not many musicians have the imagination and craftsmanship to pull that off. It was a very Richard Thompson thing to do. This Celtic Connections gig, however, was more conventional. Well, as conventional as you can get with somebody as creative, quirky and off the wall as Richard. The first half of his set was comprised of songs from his latest album ‘Dream Attic’. The second half was a sort of greatest hits selection. Like moths drawn to a light, Richard was surrounded by musicians of the highest order. He could stand alone no problem but his band added a fuller flavour to the evenings entertainment. Richard stayed electric most of the night, only once treating us to some of his acoustic skills. His solos were the highlight of the concert. He would flick a peddle at his feet, giving his guitar some distortion to bring the solo out more, and soar through scales with great imagination and style. With his trademark berry at a rakish angle he seemed to be enjoying himself. His banter was good as well, introducing each song with a funny comment or anecdote. Ticket prices were not cheap but he played for at least two hours and such was the quality of his music you went home feeling that you had got your money's worth.
Kristin Hersh was a blast from the past. She is the co-founder and front woman of alternative rock band Throwing Muses. I was into their music as a teenager but when my cd collection started to replace my now obsolete cassette tape collection Throwing Muses sort of got lost. I don't know why, they are such a great band and pioneers in rock music. I certainly intend to get into their music again. Anyway, I happened to pop into Waterstone's bookstore to collect a book that I had ordered and a poster promoting 'An evening with Kristin Hersh' caught my eye and I quickly snapped up a ticket. She was in the UK promoting her new book 'Paradoxical Undressing', which is essentially a memoir of her late teen years based on a diary she kept at that time. The 'evening' with her would include acoustic perfomance of some songs, reading excerpts from her book and signing copies of whatever you wanted her to sign. It was held in the basement of Waterstones and there was small stage set up with chair and mike for her. The place was packed with fellow Doc Martin wearing intellectuals like myself (ha!). Kristin is petite, cute, shy and possesses really beautiful vivid eyes. The whole set lasted about 45 minutes. There was a song, reading, song, reading, etc. Her acoustic performance was offbeat, raw and distinctive. It was certainly not easy listening rubbish like JLS, that's for sure. Her readings were quirky, funny and occassionaly poignant. I am a third of the way through the book just now and she is a very good writer. When it came to the signing session I found myself third in the queue. This was not through the ardent desire of a die hard fan, more through the fact that people were still to buy copies of her book. The guys in front of me were obviously those die hard fans and chatted away about stuff relating to Throwing Muses. I began to grow uneasy. I could not approach her and say 'Oh, I used to like your music'. When my turn did come I just took a deep breath and asked her to sign my book. While she did this I got a better chance to admire her lovely eyes up close. Although shy, she was very pleasant and polite and after shaking her hand I came away with a big smile. I don't know if I got a buzz from meeting a famous person or meeting a famous person who is not arrogant or egocentric. I don't know but I was certainly charmed. I had recently read about a guy who has spent the last 13 years tracking down celebrities for their autographs, spending about £150,000 in the process. I can't see myself ever doing that, but I would like to meet more famous men and women that I admire, just to see what they are like. So, does anybody have Rachel McAdam's phone number by any chance? I know it's a long shot but, as they say, he who dares, wins. Or in my case, he who dares goes to prison for stalking.
