The
acoustic start to my 2019 “Autumn Dance Card” continues with my impromptu
attendance at a solo performance by a man I’m more familiar with as part of Gaz
Brookfield’s Company Of Thieves… unlike fellow Company man (that’s better than
saying “fellow Thief”, right?) Nick Parker, I’d not been privy to Chris Webb’s
solo outings, apart from his slot opening for Gaz at the famous “Logan onstage”
Southampton gig last February (gig 1,073), a gig where he also helped Logan
during his onstage antics, sharing his mic with my son during “Diabete’s Blues”.
Been meaning to see him “live” since, just not had the chance (T’uh, excuses,
excuses)… This one also seemed a little dicey, given that I was working through
a laundry list of jobs in preparation for a family weekend in Brixham supporting
my crazy wifey while she swam the Dart 10K Event, but luckily I manages to
squeeze in a couple of hours to pop “Up the Tupp”…
Arrived
just before 8.30, literally minutes before the man was due onstage, so had time
to grab a drink, exchange pleasantries with Dave Franklin, then take a pew near
the front for Chris’ performance in front of a score of keen local folk/acoustica
fans and curious Thursday night punters. A gently meandering, mostly
instrumental opener eased us in gently, then Chris commented on his having been
compared vocally to Squeeze’s Glen Tilbrook (hmmm, don’t see that myself),
which at least provided an excuse for an early and rather splendid cover of Squeeze’s
joyously wordy “Up The Junction”. Great stuff!
“Wordy”
in fact was probably a suitable summary for Chris’ performance tonight, albeit
in the best possible way… Chatty, urbane and relaxed throughout, he told
stories of other alleged comparisons as lead-ins to well-chosen covers (John
Martin and Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon, apparently), deftly avoided falling
into the trap of telling Gaz stories to the Swindon audience, yet praised us as
a “lovely” crowd and “Home from home – unlike Aylesbury, that was awful!”. His
own material was generally less immediate and more complex than either of his
Company bandmates, often requiring either some motormouth gabbling to fit all
the words in (viz. the splendid “Heat”), or some seriously intricate
finger-picking to cram all the notes in! Works for me, I’ve always been a fan
of songs which have more verbiage than they can comfortably hold – The Hold Steady
and early Del Amitri (a fairly valid comparison for Chris tonight) being enduring
faves of mine…!
A
2-set showing with a break, this, with “Breakfast” opening the second set,
Chris suggesting we check Youtube to, “find the video [for this] and watch me
dance around like a twat!” “Bittersweet” (introduced as, “an arsey song,” which
Chris wrote after a bad trip to Glasgow) featured a packed and undulating
harmony line, “Parade” was more wistful and pastoral, oldie “Singing To The Sea”
was almost Spanish-guitar influenced, and “Let’s Crash A Ceilidh” racier and the
most Gaz-like of his offerings. But my favourite of the set was the upbeat and
insistent melody of the closing “Compass”, which was preceded by Chris giving
us a flash of his new “compass” gig socks!
So,
overall a very entertaining way to spend a Thursday evening, and a prompter for
me to check out Chris “live” more often (maybe after the new album – being mastered
soon! – drops). As for comparisons? Well, Tilbrook, Martin, Hannon… you know
what, with his dextrous guitar work, complex yet melodic material and laconic,
laid-back yet chatty and voluble delivery, when I listen to Chris Webb I just
hear… Chris Webb!
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