So after 15 months without a gig its back with a bang with two in a week. After a sweet soul show with Acantha Lang on Monday its down and dirty rock n roll with Pete Bruntnell and chums on a Friday night reasonably locally in Raynes Park. After the rail network does its best to stop me getting there I arrive a little after 7 to an already full Cavern with all tables filled. Luckily, my partner in crime tonight, John, had secured a spot at the last remaining table a few minutes earlier.
Tonight, it’s Pete, a bit of 14 Cousins and James Walbourne on guitar and they play their favourite tunes from some of your favourite artists. That’s of course if your favourite artists align to theirs which mine do so we have everything from Wilco, the Jayhawks, Gillian Welch, Bobby Bland and Neil Young to name a few. On the day of release of Pete’s very well reviewed new album there’s no room for those songs as its covers all the way.
So what did we learn tonight? Nothing. We already knew that Pete is a fine musician, singer songwriter and possessor of an underrated voice. The rhythm section are exceptional driving the band and songs along without skipping a beat and of course James Walbourne is one of the finest guitarists around, whether that’s fronting solo acoustic, with his wife in the Rails, rocking it up as lead guitarist in the Pretenders or as an accomplished slide blues picker (are we ever going to see those tracks he record with the North Mississippi Allstars). After over a year without live music I didn’t want any surprises, just top quality rock and roll and that’s exactly what we got.
Over the course of two sets we take in blues, Americana, straight country and it was great to hear the likes of ‘Passenger Side’, ‘Wichita’ and a stunning version of ‘Annabelle’ where Walbourne really let rip. The clock strikes eleven and it’s all over too quickly and we could have sat here for another hour listening to these old tunes. Of course there’s a place for a refined, big production show but there is nothing better than watching a great band in a small bar belting out tracks you know and love.
So it’s great to be back in the saddle again and despite what Johnson says today it is not going to diminish my need for live music. Thanks Pete for feeding this addiction.
Keep on rockin y’all