Brandy Clark + Jim Lauderdale - Town Hall, Birmingham. Friday 27th October 2017

Cutting an isolated figure on stage, Brandy Clark adopted the pose of the archetypal country music singer and ensured that true to the genre’s identity, the songs nestled right at the heart of the show. For just over an hour tonight, you were taken back to the idealistic days of 2013. This was when 12 STORIES emerged from a little known label in Texas called Slate Creek Records and an established songwriter from Morton WA edged tentatively into the world of the recording artist. Four years on and the continued most important assertion is that the music of Brandy Clark matters.

Presently, Brandy retains the status of an artist signed to a major Nashville label. Therefore, exposure and connectivity has enabled her to develop a fan base sufficiently to grow the Birmingham show from the homely surroundings of The Glee Club to the more lavish environment of the Town Hall in twelve months. While the audience growth settled somewhere between the size of both venues, there was only a minor adjustment to the presentation. When this gig sprung up, thoughts turned to a full band operation and a sound more akin to what greeted fans during the first half of her sophomore album BIG DAY IN A SMALL TOWN. However, what we were introduced  to was a similar acoustic show with just the double bass of Vanessa McGowan joining Brandy and her regular lead guitarist Miles Aubrey.

Long may this remain the de facto format for Brandy Clark as it optimises the baring of her songs’ souls. Even numbers like ‘Girl Next Door’, which had designs for more populous platforms, take on a new light when stripped down. The gentle caressing of the bass with a bow added a slice of morbidity to ‘Three Kids No Husband’, and while you think Miles could excel on his own in another setting, the supporting role he plays is invaluable when applying the thought generating interludes to Brandy’s songs. One development pleading out for is a pedal steel player in this format. The songs ache and what better accompaniment that some soothing twang.

For the second leg of the UK tour, Jim Lauderdale has jumped on board to take on the role of the supporting act. It is a credit to his overall integrity and versatility that such a legend, not just of the Nashville scene but across the wide spectrum of American roots music, can adjust to this mode and pull it off with a double dose of humility and class. It is likely that some new converts to Brandy are not aware of who Jim Lauderdale is. Watching him for half an hour renders that ignorance obsolete. Just soaking up the influence for ‘King of Broken Hearts’ was worth taking your seat in the hall early and if one person left thinking ‘I should check out this Gram Parsons guy’ then mission accomplished. Of course, Jim has his own albums to sell and the latest release LONDON SOUTHERN is probably one of the main reasons he has come to Britain on at least three occasions this year to play a variety of different shows.

Just a minor gripe now and one which savouring Jim Lauderdale slightly alleviated. For an artist of Brandy’s stature and the outlay for the show, she should be playing for a minimum of ninety minutes not the seventy allotted to this performance. The vast majority of touring artists at all levels offer this and any rationale will not wash here.

Gripe over and now back to the reasons that this was still pushing the upper echelons of a lengthy 2017 gig schedule. The set list was almost evenly split comprising  of half a dozen songs from each album plus an assortment of unrecorded material and the ubiquitous cover. The latter for this show was the Dean Dillon/Hank Cochrane song ‘The Chair’, famously cut by George Strait. The other unrecorded songs included ‘Apologies’ – introduced as a new one – and ‘When I Get to Drinkin'’, which recently appeared on the live album. Another unfamiliar song in ‘Favourite Lie’ joined an outstanding opening set trio alongside ‘Hold My Hand’, setting a near unparalleled lofty bar, and ‘Love Can Go To Hell’, showing the power of the stripped back version.

Despite the general low key vibes of the show, popular numbers like ‘Stripes’ and ‘Pray to Jesus’ got the crowd involved. Vociferous reactions were also reserved for the substance-inspired song ‘Get High’ and the alternative revenge piece ‘Daughter’. Apart from the opening number previously mentioned, the other personal highlights were the intrinsically countrified ‘Drinkin’, Smokin’, Cheatin’’ (what else do you expect from an apostrophe overload) and the satisfying singalong ‘Big Day in a Small Town’.

Brandy herself has slipped into the consummate role of the relaxed touring performer, at ease with audience interaction and introducing her songs with an element of impish vagueness. The usual subjects for country music material are aplenty and we were even given a hint of a complete album of drinking songs, should there be room for one! While Brandy tends to guide her writing in the direction of the third person character, it does ponder a thought in how she might focus her exceptional skill inward, with no doubt many a story to tell. Observing this performance also lent a moment to wander into the future zone of where her career is heading. This relates to the current construction of the country music landscape, especially on the fringes of the mainstream. What Brandy can do is cut her own niche and build on the momentum of the last four years to develop her trade in a conducive environment.

Hindsight may well elevate the pairing of Jim Lauderdale and Brandy Clark to another level. Together they put on a super show majoring on what is important and crucial to the preservation of country music as a standalone art form. Brandy ended by saying ‘continue to buy my albums and I will continue to cross the pond to play’. As long as she gets the astute decisions right, opportunities will prevail.

www.brandyclark.com

Wild Ponies - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Wednesday 25th October 2017

If prizes were handed out for how you present an album then the book can be closed on the page of the Wild Ponies. Not only is the mystical music mood of Galax available in your living rooms, it can also transfix an intimate listening venue from literally anywhere in the world. Suburban Kings Heath to rural Virginia may or may not be a universe away depending on your mind-set, but the miles were gently erased during the first part of this Kitchen Garden show.

Doug and Telisha Williams aka Wild Ponies are fast becoming perennial favourites on the UK touring circuit for American roots artists. Since their last visit to the West Midlands area in January, the East Nashville based duo has released a brand new album titled GALAX and are currently in the midst of comprehensively touring it across Europe and the States. The vinyl copy was perched proudly behind the Kitchen’s performing space and there could not have been a better promotional opportunity than dedicating eight songs from the record during the first set.

The unanimous highlight from this segment of the show had to be Telisha’s stunning take on the Hazel Dickens song ‘Pretty Bird’. Without putting the album version too much in the shade, the live performance melted any aversion to a heart rendering emotive song. The pattern for the evening soon emerged and the full quota of informative chat was reserved for the first set. This ensured everybody present was well versed in the making of GALAX, the background to its fruition and the effects that emanated from a project that literally captured the very fundamentals of roots music.  

Just to back up a prior view on the tracks selected to feature on this record, ‘Jackknife’ came across exceptionally well and enjoyed a vociferous reception from the assembled music lovers. It may have lacked the critical fiddle parts, but it wasn’t too difficult to detect the communal love radiating from ‘Sally Ann’. As we approached the interval, Doug promised more rock ‘n’ roll courtesy of the Telecaster in the second half and concluded the contents of GALAX with the greater upbeat vibes of ‘Will They Still Know Me’; a co-write with another Kitchen Garden favourite: Ben Glover.

At this point, it is timely to acknowledge the evening’s supporting cast. Joining Doug and Telisha for this UK tour is Austin based musician Katie Marie, who majored mainly on mandolin for the first half before reverting to drums for the numbers which benefitted from a more pulsating beat. She has been part of the Wild Ponies US tour and made a telling impact on this show as well. In replicating their role for the Wild Ponies January gig at the nearby Thimblemill Library, The Lost Notes opened the evening and played a spritely set of well-crafted tunes, liberally sprinkled across the acoustic spectrum and containing some sublime harmonies. Appearing in the usual stripped down trio format for these type of shows, the band are gearing up for a debut album release, and showcasing fine songs like ‘Bobby’ and ‘I’ll Wait Until the Sunrise’ will do the promotion no harm.

How were the Wild Ponies going to follow the songs from GALAX in the second half? There was obviously a big clue in Doug’s prior preview, but he kept to his word and yes, rock ‘n’ roll was the answer. Starting with ‘Born with a Broken Heart’ and climaxing with ‘Unplug the Machine’, the tempo was seamless, with on this occasion the chat being kept to a minimum; Not that they don’t have an interesting story about most of their songs. All the ‘greatest hits’ were featured including ‘Love is Not a Sin’, ‘Trigger’, ‘Things That Used to Shine’ and ‘Broken’. Inevitably, the temptation to tread the well-worn ground of ditching the mics to test the acoustic surroundings was adhered to and a beautiful version of ‘Radiant’ ensured the evening closed on a moment as high as what we were greeted to a couple of hours earlier.

Hooking into the Wild Ponies style, ideals, ethos and music is a compulsive act for anybody with a remote interest in contemporary roots music. This is country, folk, rock ‘n’ roll or anything you want it to be, as long as you respect tradition, integrity and the power of song. This show signposted the right way and every new Wild Ponies convert furthers the cause of ensuring the UK remains firmly on the horizon of a band dedicated to sharing their music anywhere in the world.

www.wildponies.net

Review of Galax