We have a date 21st June for normality we hope and the end of socially distancing at a gig. I have my first gig pencilled in for 7th June a seated affair at the Jazz Café to hopefully set up the rest of the year. I have still have about half a dozen gigs that will either be cancelled or postponed some for the third time. So cautious optimism is the watch word here. Given that the summer months are usually a little quieter the autumn could be crazy for gigs if things get back to normal. So with everything crossed let’s hope there is real light at the end of this horribly long tunnel.
When I first started this little exercise we were a month into lockdown on the 24th April. Like most of you I expected this to last a month or two. The reality now is clear and sadly it will be a full twelve months and probably a lot more between my last gig and the next one. We go again and hopefully this brings back memories for my gig going chums who have joined me on this great musical journey down the years.
Just the one and its classic Ryan Adams today for my look back down memory lane.
2002, Ryan Adams, Brixton Academy, London
Always a dilemma for me to choose between ‘Gold’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ as my favourite Adams album. This was the Gold tour and looking at the set now it’s brilliant, obviously if pushed three or four more from Heartbreaker would have been perfect but it’s churlish to complain.
This was Adams at his Americana peak whatever that is as he followed these two classics with Demolition and then his punk album ‘We are Fuck You’ that’s actually pretty good. What more can I say about Adams. At his best he has no peers and I couldn’t get enough of him around this time. An exemplary songwriter and enigmatic stage performer who usually had the band and audience waiting in anticipation on what he would do next. Adams is always surrounded by great backing bands and this iteration was the Sweet Revolution who seemed to all have names beginning with B.
This is probably up there as one of the best times I have seen him and I’ve seen him a lot.
That’s it for today so don’t forget, support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all.