December 2007
Two Thousand and Seven
December 2
The Luminaire
London
December 3
The Ravenswood
Shapthorne, West Sussex
December 4
Anchor Inn
Barcombe, East Sussex
December 5
The Maze
Nottingham
December 6
Jumpin Hot Club
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
December 7
The Fallen Angels Club
Glasgow
December 8
The Band Room
Low Mill, Farndale, by Kirkbymoorside,
December 9
Private house concert recorded Bryan Burnett's
Brand New Country show on BBC Radio
Scotland
Islay
December 13
Acoustic Music Club
Kirkcaldy
December 14
The Pleasance
With Lucy Kaplansky
Edinburgh
December 15
The Met
With Lucy Kaplansky
Bury
December 16
The Musician
Leicester
December 2
The Luminaire
London
December 3
The Ravenswood
Shapthorne, West Sussex
December 4
Anchor Inn
Barcombe, East Sussex
December 5
The Maze
Nottingham
December 6
Jumpin Hot Club
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
December 7
The Fallen Angels Club
Glasgow
December 8
The Band Room
Low Mill, Farndale, by Kirkbymoorside,
December 9
Private house concert recorded Bryan Burnett's
Brand New Country show on BBC Radio
Scotland
Islay
December 13
Acoustic Music Club
Kirkcaldy
December 14
The Pleasance
With Lucy Kaplansky
Edinburgh
December 15
The Met
With Lucy Kaplansky
Bury
December 16
The Musician
Leicester
Americana UK Website
December 2007
Review by Mike Ritchie
Gig of the year? You bet even though I’
ve enjoyed excellent shows this year by
Richmond Fontaine, Cat Power, Robbie
Fulks, Seasick Steve, The Willy Clay
Band, Dinosaur Jr, among others. This
two-hour experience, no other word for
it, was utterly spellbinding, swamped
with emotion and so intense you had to
take a swift intake of breath to cope.
And there were people who were tearful
during some songs in Sam’s
extraordinarily beautiful and moving
performance. His spoken and singing
voice merge seamlessly so his between-
songs chat and actual tracks stop and
start before you notice, the gently picked
intros the only guide.
With two brilliant albums “Mercy” and
“Pretty World” released since he started
song-writing seriously seven years ago,
he had no shortage of wonderful material
to mesmerise a full-house. Outside in
Sauchiehall Street, the Friday night
madness was in full flight with added
festive gusto but inside you could have
heard a pin drop in Edinburgh such was
the rapt attention afforded each and
every song. Waves, Baseball, Juarez,
Boxes, Sweetly Undone, Slots, Kitchen
– lots of one-word titles for songs, you’ll
notice. But he packs into the songs his
hugely emotional lyrics with words hand-
picked to communicate his thoughts and
observations – “no slackers,” as the
Texan told a radio interviewer recently.
A slightly slurred delivery, words spoken
and gently sung, create an atmosphere all
of their own.
Mostly deaf from a terrorist train
bombing over 20 years ago in Peru that
killed a family of fellow passengers and
left him with a constant struggle to
rebuild his life, Sam can tell such simple
stories, despite his pain. Observational
and caring, lushly toned and carefully
crafted, his songs are works of art that
delve under your skin to make you take
notice. With no set list, he responded to
requests that really had to be yelled out
loud and, as he settled himself for each,
he revealed his quick wit, an admiration
for the Daily Star, a huge interest in the
“missing back from the dead” canoe man
story, an astonishment that Scottish
heather could be turned into ale.
It was late, late in the set that he finally
sang “Broken Fingers” explaining that it
was a song he had to build up to as it
“sucked something out of a room” – and
it certainly did. “These broken fingers,
some things don’t heal, I can’t wake up
from a dream, when the dream is
real…these broken fingers.” Stunning,
sad, brilliant (sorry, that word again) – a
real lump in the throat moment. We’re all
familiar with the overused term “must
see” - but this guy is in that category, in a
class all on his own, actually. Last gig of
the year for me, the best saved until the
last. Thank you, Sam.
December 2007
Review by Mike Ritchie
Gig of the year? You bet even though I’
ve enjoyed excellent shows this year by
Richmond Fontaine, Cat Power, Robbie
Fulks, Seasick Steve, The Willy Clay
Band, Dinosaur Jr, among others. This
two-hour experience, no other word for
it, was utterly spellbinding, swamped
with emotion and so intense you had to
take a swift intake of breath to cope.
And there were people who were tearful
during some songs in Sam’s
extraordinarily beautiful and moving
performance. His spoken and singing
voice merge seamlessly so his between-
songs chat and actual tracks stop and
start before you notice, the gently picked
intros the only guide.
With two brilliant albums “Mercy” and
“Pretty World” released since he started
song-writing seriously seven years ago,
he had no shortage of wonderful material
to mesmerise a full-house. Outside in
Sauchiehall Street, the Friday night
madness was in full flight with added
festive gusto but inside you could have
heard a pin drop in Edinburgh such was
the rapt attention afforded each and
every song. Waves, Baseball, Juarez,
Boxes, Sweetly Undone, Slots, Kitchen
– lots of one-word titles for songs, you’ll
notice. But he packs into the songs his
hugely emotional lyrics with words hand-
picked to communicate his thoughts and
observations – “no slackers,” as the
Texan told a radio interviewer recently.
A slightly slurred delivery, words spoken
and gently sung, create an atmosphere all
of their own.
Mostly deaf from a terrorist train
bombing over 20 years ago in Peru that
killed a family of fellow passengers and
left him with a constant struggle to
rebuild his life, Sam can tell such simple
stories, despite his pain. Observational
and caring, lushly toned and carefully
crafted, his songs are works of art that
delve under your skin to make you take
notice. With no set list, he responded to
requests that really had to be yelled out
loud and, as he settled himself for each,
he revealed his quick wit, an admiration
for the Daily Star, a huge interest in the
“missing back from the dead” canoe man
story, an astonishment that Scottish
heather could be turned into ale.
It was late, late in the set that he finally
sang “Broken Fingers” explaining that it
was a song he had to build up to as it
“sucked something out of a room” – and
it certainly did. “These broken fingers,
some things don’t heal, I can’t wake up
from a dream, when the dream is
real…these broken fingers.” Stunning,
sad, brilliant (sorry, that word again) – a
real lump in the throat moment. We’re all
familiar with the overused term “must
see” - but this guy is in that category, in a
class all on his own, actually. Last gig of
the year for me, the best saved until the
last. Thank you, Sam.
Photo by Keith Lewis
The Maze
Nottingham
December 5, 2007
The Maze
Nottingham
December 5, 2007
 |
