Tuesday 19 October 2010

325 COWBOY JUNKIES, Hayden, London Shepherd's Bush Empire, Friday 24 May 1996

Took the now time-honoured route to the supermarket-top car park in Shepherd's Bush Green, getting into good viewing seats (Level 1 Circle) just as support Hayden was finishing his last, abrasive and acoustic number.

Alternative Country pioneers The Cowboy Junkies came on at 9.10 to a rapturous welcome from this varied but generally older crowd (making this 30 year old feel positively young!), playing a set drawn primarily from their new, slightly darker LP "Lay It Down", which conversely gave it a more upbeat feel, tempo-wise, than my previous hushed "live" experience. Margot Timmin's voice, a velvety yet soaring resonant thing, filled the room and put the finishing touch on the CJ's plaintive yet majestic haunting mood music. A 1 hour 45 minute (wow!) set studded with jewels, and covers from sources as varied as Hank Williams, Springsteen and The Velvet Underground, but my favourite was nevertheless their own gorgeous encore of "'Cause Cheap Is How I Feel". Back home at break-neck pace by 12.30, after a shimmering and wondrous performance!

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