On nights like these you really wished the live music public
of Birmingham would embrace some of the exceptional less well known US acts
that make the commitment to physically export their talents to venues in this
country. Promoters World Unlimited are increasingly seeking out quality
Americana acts and established venues such as the Hare and Hounds in Kings
Heath are prepared to make room in their indie-dominated schedule to host these artists but often the missing link is
an enthusiastic crowd to give them a warm welcoming reception. The two artists
who showcased their talents on a shared bill this evening were regular UK
visitors the Water Tower Buckets Boys, who played a nearby venue around
eighteen months ago, and the inaugural trip overseas of Texas based multi-instrumentalist
Lincoln Durham. To be fair to both acts, they played a couple of storming sets
that far outstripped the modest lukewarm environment that provided the backdrop
to their performances.
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| Lincoln Durham. Photo not taken at gig |
Lincoln Durham opened proceedings with an electrifying (well
predominately acoustic) demonstration of dust n’ dirt Texas blues in true
tradition of those who have produced a blue bonnet sound from the barren landscape
of the Lone Star state. With the support and backing of the widely respected
figure of Ray Wylie Hubbard, Lincoln has managed to blend perfectly the raw
sound of his plethora of stringed instruments with the thoughtful song writing that
is often an inbred trait of travelling Texas musicians. Never dwelling on one
instrument, Durham fidgeted from fiddle to electric to acoustic and even played
a couple of tunes on a contraption comprising of a cigar box for a body and a
broomstick for a neck, in his own words – true Bo Diddly style. Throughout each
change he expressed a passion for care and though beset by a couple of
technical hitches, produced a spellbinding sound which complemented his
gravelly vocals that carried all the hallmark of his mentor. With the added
sound of the ubiquitous harmonica, this was a display of pure Texas soul music
straight from an intense performer, who with a touch of work on audience rapport
can make great strides in the world of Americana music. Notable tracks
performed on the night from his debut album THE SHOVEL vs. THE HOWLING BONES were
the stunning ‘Last Red Dawn’ , the
engaging ‘Clementine’, ‘How Does a Crow Flow’ and the Texas
drifter song ‘Mud Puddles’. Lincoln
Durham is definitely one to watch on the live circuit.
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| Water Tower Bucket Boys |
The Water Tower Buckets Boys are currently in a state of
rebranding. When they return to the studio and the road again in the New Year
they will be known simply as Water Tower. So they took their swansong with the
more distinctive band name as an opportunity to both celebrate the past songs
that have often featured on previous UK visits with a selection of numbers set
to be an integral part of the band’s re-launch. Both old and new tracks all
carried the mark of the bands frenetic bluegrass/indie/punk/roots style with
the odd pure country tune thrown in. ‘Crooked
Road’, ‘Fromage’ and the instrumental ‘London
Breakdown’ were amongst the tracks played from their popular 2010 release SOLE
KITCHEN. ‘It’s Wrong’, ‘Don’t Look Back’,
The Tide of Time’ and show closer ‘Anthem Song’ were all new songs aired
during the evening and look set to feature on forthcoming releases.
In sync with the line up on this tour, the boys are
retaining their four-piece make up with Jason Oppat on drums and rousing
harmonica, joining the established trio of Gordon Keepers – stand up bass, Josh
Rabbie – guitar/fiddle and Kenny Feinstein – guitar/mandolin. The latter two
share most of the vocal duties with the wit of Kenny being an essential part of
the on- stage chemistry. Other notable songs performed on the evening by this
tight knit quartet were stomping bluegrass number ‘I’m Working on a Building’, ‘Cocaine’
and the Townes Van Zandt song ‘’White
Freightliner’.
Both acts deserved a far better turnout and more enthusiasm than
this Birmingham audience gave them and thus it becomes more imperative that
artists like these are increasingly actively promoted and the word is spread
that quality live music is being delivered to our doorstep.
