Ralph McTell, Birmingham Town Hall
Nov 24, 2018 10:56:04 GMT
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Post by andyhowell on Nov 24, 2018 10:56:04 GMT
During the Halifax workshop on songwriting leoroberts asked the panel to talk about their influences. I talked about a three week period when I was sixteen when I saw Ralph Mctell, Don Mclean and Tom Paxton.44 years after that first concert was back at Birmingham Town Hall to see Ralph Mctell on the last night of the current tour. An what an evening.
Smith and Brewer opened. I saw them at Cropredy in the summer and thought they got a bit carried away with playing in front of 20,000 people. The material was all played at 100 miles an hour. This tour seems to have introduced them to playing theatres. Everything is a bit more sensitively judged and more than a little less manic. Singing and playing around one condenser microphone they created a great 'Americana' sound. The crowd loved them. they were fabulous and judging by the queue at the merchandise stall after they must have sold a few CDs!
Ralph was on fine form. At 73 the voice is still stronger, I suspect stronger since giving up smoking. And the guitar playing was as good as ever. This was a set crammed full of crowd favourites, Naomi, The Ferryman, Hiring Fair, Clare to Here, The Ghost of Robert Johnson and, of course, that other song. This is an audience that has grown up with Ralph and the intimacy in the relationship between him and them creates a simply wonderful atmosphere. And there are few younger folk in there as well.
I never miss a Ralph visit to the West Midlands especially now i wonder if this will be his last, although he looked very fit and well. I told Leo and the Halifax crowd that seeing Ralph back then opened my eyes to something very special, a man who — playing solo — can hold a crowd of 1,000 totally enthralled by his songs and stories. Birmingham Town Hall is one of those wonderful Victorian Concert Halls, although it holds over a thousand people the atmosphere remains very intimate. It seems to suit Ralph down to the ground who particularly enjoys playing the Hall's grand piano.
A fabulous evening. An album of new material is to be released in February.
Smith and Brewer opened. I saw them at Cropredy in the summer and thought they got a bit carried away with playing in front of 20,000 people. The material was all played at 100 miles an hour. This tour seems to have introduced them to playing theatres. Everything is a bit more sensitively judged and more than a little less manic. Singing and playing around one condenser microphone they created a great 'Americana' sound. The crowd loved them. they were fabulous and judging by the queue at the merchandise stall after they must have sold a few CDs!
Ralph was on fine form. At 73 the voice is still stronger, I suspect stronger since giving up smoking. And the guitar playing was as good as ever. This was a set crammed full of crowd favourites, Naomi, The Ferryman, Hiring Fair, Clare to Here, The Ghost of Robert Johnson and, of course, that other song. This is an audience that has grown up with Ralph and the intimacy in the relationship between him and them creates a simply wonderful atmosphere. And there are few younger folk in there as well.
I never miss a Ralph visit to the West Midlands especially now i wonder if this will be his last, although he looked very fit and well. I told Leo and the Halifax crowd that seeing Ralph back then opened my eyes to something very special, a man who — playing solo — can hold a crowd of 1,000 totally enthralled by his songs and stories. Birmingham Town Hall is one of those wonderful Victorian Concert Halls, although it holds over a thousand people the atmosphere remains very intimate. It seems to suit Ralph down to the ground who particularly enjoys playing the Hall's grand piano.
A fabulous evening. An album of new material is to be released in February.
