I caught Richard Thompson's solo acoustic tour on Saturday evening and watching him perform from just a few feet away was, as always, a jaw-dropping treat. We didn't get 'I Misunderstood' or 'The Ghost of You Walks', both of which he's played recently and are personal favourites of mine, but in all honesty it would be churlish to complain given the wonderful selection we did get. The opening salvo of 'Gethsemane', 'Down Where the Drunkards Roll' and 'Valerie' was simply breathtaking, 'Crocodile Tears' laugh out loud funny and 'Beeswing' had many a grown man in the audience reaching for a hankie to wipe something from their eye. And so it continued, classics rubbed shoulders with forgotten gems, overlooked favourites and even an excellent new song, 'Trying', that's destined for Thompson's next LP in 2018.
In a night of many highlights it was, as ever, the phenomenal '1952 Vincent Black Lightning' that will linger longest in the memory. The older I get, the more I appreciate what an utterly perfect marriage of art, artist and performance this song really is.
Gethsemane
Down Where the Drunkards Roll
Valerie
Crocodile Tears
Beeswing
Beatnik Walking
Uninhabited Man
Push and Shove
They Tore the Hippodrome Down
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
Who Knows Where the Time Goes?
1952 Vincent Black Lightning
Persuasion
Trying
A Love You Can't Survive
Wall of Death
King Of Bohemia
One Door Opens
Encore:
Tear Stained Letter
Encore 2:
Waltzing's For Dreamers
Hots For The Smarts
Meet on the Ledge
8 comments:
TiS a great song Swede
I've only had the pleasure of seeing him once and that was one of the highlights
This song is one of the highlights of every show by the giant Richard Thompson. I am lucky enough to see him live several times and every show had a magic of his own.
Thanks for posting the set list. An RT live gig always seems to bring some wonderful surprises.
RT is just tremendous, isn't he? He never fails. Must have been magic.
Absolutely brilliant song. The second best I've heard today.
What was the best George?
Heartaches By The Number by Dwight Yoakam. (Why is it that I know all the words to this song and could happily wail away with it but can do this for no song I've purchased in the last 15 or so years?)
I don't know George, but it happens to me all the time.
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