Ags Connelly @ The Moncrieff Suite, The Salutation Hotel, Perth,Scotland - Saturday 26 July 2015

Next up on my musical journey through 2014 was the Southern Fried Music Festival in the fair city of Perth, often referred to as "the gateway to the Highlands". The first gig of the weekend for me was at 14:00 in the The Moncrieff Suite, formerly the Salutation Assembly Rooms, in reputedly the "oldest established hotel in Scotland", the Salutation Hotel on South Street. The 'Sally' began taking bookings for weary travellers back in 1699 and on Saturday was to play host to two cracking gigs, the first of which was Ags Connolly a resident of Finstock in Oxfordshire. 

With a mid afternoon kick off, we arrived in good time and took our seats at one of the many linen cloth covered tables set out randomly around the hall. It was a rather surreal experience with folk in shorts, flip flops, sandals and the seats covered in a deep blue velvety fabric contrasting well with the sanded oak flooring of the dance floor, not your usual venue. However, with a dedicated bar at the back of the place we were set to enjoy ourselves and I reckon Ags and his band did too from the way they played their joyous, bountiful set. The threesome stepped up on to the low dais come stage at about 14:00 and set off with a wonderful rendition of track two from the current album How About Now (note: no question mark!). To paint the picture, and sketched out for you looking towards the stage, we had from the left Nico Bruce on upright double bass, Ags Connolly on electrified acoustic guitar and Stuart Nesbit on electric guitar to the right. A simple but extremely potent arrangement, no need for drums, organ, piano, xylophone or what ever else here! 

Stuart Nesbit

Ags informed us that Stuart had played the guitar parts on the Dean Owens produced album released in February this year and as such the lead guitar solos were crisp, clean and creative, contributing to the songs magnificently. Check out the sublime solo in She Doesn't Need Anyone Anymore for starters. Dean, formerly the front man of the wonderful but little known Scottish Americana band the Felsons, has done a great job on record and I was to be treated to hearing the songs live for the first time today. The gig was sadly to be a short one, lasting some 45 minutes, but as is often said, good things come in small packages and this was not to be the exception to the rule! 

Ags has evolved as a country singer and is now an acolyte of the Ameripolitan musical genre as espoused by the great Dale Watson. In fact, Ags' musical heroes sound like a veritable feast of the greats from the rebellious end of country music, they include David Allan Coe, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings (all three name checked on When Country Was Proud), Robert Earl Keen, Chris Knight, Johnny Cash and Johnny Paycheck to name a few! He has also evolved a great singing voice which stays true to his English roots but nods in recognition of many great American country singers. I would also add that on I'm Not Someone You Want To Know and I Hoped She Wouldn't Be Here he sounds like the wonderful Aboriginal folk/country, dare I say "Aborigipolitan", singer/songwriter Archie Roach! I also have to remind myself that we are listening to an Englishman singing here not some steeped in country music history American singer. However, hearing words like 'pub' and 'pints to sink' act as reminders of Ags' heritage. Gowan yer sel big man, as we say in Glesca! 

Nico Bruce

I also wish to mention the sterling work meted out by Nico Bruce on the upright double bass. Apparently Nico and Ags met over the weekend and yet he played like a pro! Actually, Nico is a real pro, having had stints along side Stuart in a Proclaimers line up for a few years, so no slouch there then, eh? The slow playing on the down low number Get Out Of My Mind was a joy to listen to from all three musicians and both Stuart and Nico filled out the song wonderfully. Mr Connolly can also write some roust-a-bout tunes in the train track rhythm of the late, great Johnny Cash, just check out the beat filled number off the album called The Dim And Distant Past (one of only two songs from the album not showcased). Indeed, I urge you all to check out the album which has been described as “One of the best records you are likely to hear this year…so strong is Connolly’s writing, dare I suggest that Ags Connolly is the closest we’ve ever come to an English Willie Nelson? Yes, he’s really that good, and his voice is unique.” (Duncan Warwick, Country Music People - 5/5, Album of the Month). No slouch there either, eh? 

I would like to highlight one other song and that is I Saw James Hand which being somewhat autobiographical has the following line in it:

"If I didn't know I was country, then that made up my mind. When I saw James Hand, in London first time."

It hints at the journey Ags travelled from tentative, toe dipper to fully submerged, dripping wet bona fide country singer. At the gig Ags explained that he often gets blank looks when he mentions James Hand, however, there were several in the room who were familiar with him  and I for one have enjoyed his work especially the album Mighty Lonesome Man. 

Then, after Trusty Companion, Bruce and Stuart left the stage and Ags played out the final two songs solo on his electrified acoustic guitar. It was great to hear the stripped down versions of the work and I didn't think the songs missed the backing accompaniment. It is I think a testament to the strength of the bare bones of Ags' work that the songs worked just as well solo. And so after a short, sharp, stunning, scintillating nine song introduction to the world of Ags Connolly we whooped and hollered our appreciation and I hope that it isn't too long before I am able to sit/stand/stomp/clap and enjoy hearing this man's music again. In the meantime, I have How About Now........

Ags Connolly

Listen to Ags here.....

SET LIST

Good Memory For Pain

I Hoped She Wouldn't Be Here

I Saw James Hand

Get Out Of My Mind

When Country Was Proud

I'm Not Someone You Want To Know

Trusty Companion

She Doesn't Need Anyone Anymore

How About Now

Conor Orberst & Dawes @ O2 ABC Academy, Sauchiehall St, Glasgow - Monday 21 July 2014

And so it was off to the O2 ABC Academy once again. This venue is turning out to be a regular 'haunt' for me which is not a bad thing as the acoustics are better than some venues in town. Conor Oberst and his pals Dawes had chosen to visit our fair city on 'Fair Monday' which is the holiday Monday of the historical 'fair fortnight' period here in Glasgow. In former times the lads would have been lucky to muster half a dozen punters to attend, however, times have changed (as predicted by Mr Zimmerman back in '64) and  the 'Fair' is no longer the time when all Glaswegians take their two week holiday and head off to Blackpool, Arran, Millport et al! 

Climbing the narrow, dingy old staircase up to the venue we passed numerous posters advertising coming events and I was reminded just how well served we are here for bands. Indeed, this was to be my second of three gigs this week! We got into the hall at about 7:10 and set up camp at the barrier in front of the main bar. This affords a reasonably elevated view of the stage and avoids the crush of the main area, a bonus at my age! At 19:30 Dawes ambled on stage and blasted off with the pumpin', poundin' rhythm of From A Window Seat and the gig was off and running. 

Dawes are one of my current favourite bands and I was lucky enough to catch them twice over one weekend last year (you can find the reviews on my blog). Taylor Goldsmith (looking a great deal less hirsute than last time he was in town!) is a great guitarist in my view and his voice is strong and resonant. The rest of the band have evolved into a tight, smooth rocking machine and tonight they played six songs from their back catalogue of three albums plus a new song. I felt that their stint as Conor's 'house band' has improved their sound as they have added 'space' to their work. This allows for more intricate and interesting solos and each of the lads used their particular 'space' to great effect. I particularly enjoyed the organ / piano work by Tay Strathairn on From The Right Angle and (brother) Griffin Goldsmith's drumming on Fire Away. Meanwhile Wylie Gelber played some solid, fine bass all the time looking nonchalant and laid back. At the end of my review from 2 Sept last year I said, and I quote "Something tells me that the next time I see Dawes it will be in a much bigger venue...." (they were in Broadcast) and lo, here they are again in front of 1,000 or so excited folk in the 1,362 capacity venue. Even the PA going on the blink three tunes in didn't trip the band up as Taylor pick out a fine electric guitar solo whilst the technicians sorted things out. Cool! 

There are so many great Dawes songs but naturally as the support act (at this point) we weren't going to get to hear them all, however, I was delighted to hear a new song Right On Time and it was up there with their other work. I was also extremely chuffed when they struck up the slow chugging, organ swirling intro to Time Spent In Los Angeles. And so, after an exhilarating 45 minutes, the lads signed off with a great version of From The Right Angle from last year's Stories Don't End album. This song starts off with a thoughtful lyric:

"You found me on the other side of a looser's wining streak....."

From where I was standing there were no losers and we were all on a wining streak. I for one thoroughly enjoyed the set and I sensed that Dawes had taken on board a few new converts. Wonderful stuff lads, and here's to your next visit.

Dawes - A Little Bit Of Everything

and for those without Flash player

After a pretty quick turn around Conor Orberst and his 'house band' bounded on to the stage and set off part two of the show with rousing versions of tracks one and two from the latest album Upside Down Mountain - Time forgot & Zigzagging Toward The Light. Given the rather 'thick and sonorous' acoustics in the hall the lyrics were difficult to make out and so the sentiment of these songs was rather lost, however, we were here to have a blast and, two songs in, the audience was hooked. 

My introduction to the musical world of Conor Orberst, a 34 year old native of Omaha, Nebraska, was back in 2002 when I came across his Christmas album and I have been interested in his oeuvre ever since. However, this was my first time seeing him live and it was to prove to be a cracker! I have also been enjoying his latest album, which many consider to be his most accessible and accomplished (although I would rate it alongside his eponymous album of 2008) of the 20 or so he has released over the years. Like Ryan Adams, Orberst has been very prolific, if not always hitting the mark, however, Upside Down Mountain hits the spot and performed on the back of the Dawes sound the songs were more raucous, raunchy, riotous and rambunctious! Indeed Hit The Switch from 2005's Digital Ash In A Digital Urn is relatively quite slow burner on album but tonight Taylor and Conor went head to head to create a wonderful guitar trash section which laid the song out in a new light. The two performed more guitar magic on Danny Callahan and the uptempo, jingly (somewhat reminiscent of Shiny Happy People era REM) Bowl Of Oranges.

During the night, Conor moved form acoustic guitar to electric and then to keyboards on If The Brakeman Turns My Way and Lover I Don't Have To Love and his and Tay's 'duets' were a joy to hear. Tay really helped to fill out the organ & piano parts leaving Conor free to concentrate on the guitar and his vocals. I also really enjoyed the fabulous Hammond organ and acoustic guitar interplay between these two at the start of I Got The Reason # 2, sublime!

Then at around 22:13 the band left the stage leaving Conor and Taylor to play some damn fine acoustic and electric guitar on 2005's Lua the opener and single from I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. The two lads also sang some fine harmonies on this one. There then followed a (mercifully) short break after Conor and Taylor left the stage and the full band returned after about three minutes to perform a rousing three song encore.

They kicked off with Cape Canaveral which allowed Griffen to shine as he effortlessly laid down some intricate and delicate drum notes at the bottom of the song. Meanwhile, the long limbed, laconic and laid back Wylie sat this one out and nodded along, the essence of cool! Next up was probably the song of the night for me, the superb Another Travelin' Song again from the Bright Eyes album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. With its Johnny Cash-esque train track rhythm, it's swinging guitar parts and jaunty melody this is as good an alt-country song as you are likely to hear. However, the lyrics tell a more disturbing story than the jovial tune suggests:

Well I dream of dark on the horizon

I dream a desert where the dead lay down

I dream a prostituted child touching an old man in a fast food crowd

Oh yeah, I dreamt a ship was sinking

There was people screaming all around

And I awoke to my alarm clock

It was a pop song, it was playing loud

The resemblance between Conor and Jeffrey Scott Tweedy of Wilco/Uncle Tupelo fame becomes ever clearer on this song too. However, despite its dark lyrics, it certainly had me bouncing along and it had me hoping that we would get an outing of my all time fav Orberst song I Don't Want To Die (In The Hospital) but sadly it was not to be, however, it was just the ticket to help draw things to a close. 

And as all good thing must, the show was brought to a pounding, pulsating, pulverising crescendo as the lads fired into Roosevelt Room from 2009's Outer South release. There was a wonderful extended 'work out' towards the end of this one as the band let loose, creating some industrial strength noise with an apocalyptic edge to it. Mighty fine stuff indeed and as the dust settled on another cracking night the audience ambled out onto Sauchiehall St, reflecting on a fantastic night and a wonderful double bill. We had listened to the stupendous Dawes, followed by an outstanding performance from the diminutive, but extremely dynamic Conor Oberst. It certainly rang my bell, floated my boat, rocked my tree, ticked my box or whatever the current fatuous expression for having a wonderful time is! Thanks guys, you helped to make an old man feel happy and young again, a no mean feat!

Another Travelin' Song

again, for those without Flash Player

One final point, credit to Dawes for learning all the 'new' material and for backing Mr O so effectively and seamlessly.

SET LIST (DAWES) 19:30 - 20:20

From A Window Seat

Fire Away

(PA problem - Taylor guitar solo)

Most People

Right On Time

When My Time Comes

Time Spent In Los Angeles

From The Right Angle

SET LIST CONOR OBERST (20:50 - 22:40)

Time Forgot

Zigzagging Towards The Light

Moab

Hit The Switch (Bright Eyes)

Old Soul Song (For The New World Order) (Bright Eyes)

Artefact #1

Danny Callahan (Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band)

Hundreds Of Ways 

If The Brakeman Turns My Way (Bright Eyes)

Lover I Don't Have To Love (Bright Eyes)

Firewall (Bright Eyes)

Desert Island Questionnaire

Bowl Of Oranges (Bright Eyes)

Soul Singer In A Session Band (Bright Eyes)

I Got The Reason #2 (Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band)

Lua (Bright Eyes)

ENCORE

Cape Canaveral (Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band)

Another Travelin' Song (Bright Eyes)

Roosevelt Room (Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band)