Star
rating - 10/10
It's not often you feel in the presence of greatness, but
that was exactly the feeling that the packed crowd at the Royal Northern College
of Music had after hearing the beautiful country singer John Prine give a
towering, yet seemingly effortless performance.
At the age of 68, having successfully fought off cancer, and
with no album to promote, Prine is clearly playing for the love of performing. He
started off with a great track from his 1971 eponymously titled first album Spanish Pipedream, and he just didn't
stop for a two solid hours of gem after gem from his expansive repertoire. And
he seemed to be enjoying it every bit as much as his adoring audience clearly were.
He is a consummate story teller - some of his songs are sad,
poignant and serious but he also has the ability to inject warmth and humour
into most everything he writes. John Prine's talent seems to come very
naturally to him, just writing about what he knows but with the perception of a
hawk to focus on the things that everyone can relate to. He was accompanied by just
two very talented musicians on a double bass and guitar, giving an intimate
stripped down feel to the evening.
As well as being a brilliant song writer, he seems like a
genuinely lovely man. He played Illegal
Pipedream at the request of a fan, having not performed it for three years
- not that you would have noticed by his great rendition. Sam
Stone is the heartbreaking tale of the fate of a returning war
veteran which is sadly just as relevant today as when it was released in 1971- 'there's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the
money goes. Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose'
And the great songs from across the decades just kept on
coming - The Sins of Memphisto; Christmas
in Prison; Speed of the Sound of Loneliness - made famous by Nanci
Griffiths but Prine really owns it; Grandpa
Was a Carpenter; the beautiful Souvenirs,
and Glory of True Love.
In truth there were too many highlights to recount them
all - it was just one of those very special evenings that will last long in the
memory, and at which it was a privilege to have been present.
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