It was the Upstairs Room in Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff's Music Quarter (Womanby Street) that was the venue for Jonathan Wilson's Cardiff Debut.
Fresh from a stint with Prog Legend Roger Waters' touring band, Jonathan has chosen the Welsh Capital to be part of a small select Summer Solo Tour.
But first up this evening we had the Cardiff singer, Little Red. Formally known as Ellie Makes Music, (real name Ellie James) Little Red has opted for a fresh approach (and change in name). Tonight she performs her songs with just a guitar in hand.
Diminutive (and flame haired, obviously) she treats the audience with several lovely songs.
Although she is diminutive she has a stage presence which draws your eye and keeps your attention.
Hell
Little Red plays a set of new songs tonight, which judging by the audience reaction bodes well for the next album. And some of the songs already had a following as I watched audience members sing them back to her'
The songs played tonight were
Uncomfortable, Perfect, Beg For Love, How Do I Find You, Walls & A Little Love.
She had a great reaction and I'm sure she is destined for bigger and better things when the new material is released.
What made this gig extra sweet for me was the last minute addition of one of my favourite bands (playing tonight as a duo), Cardiff based Zervas & Pepper. Paul & Kath are now on their fifth album with the recent release of Endless Road Restless Nomad. Tonight was a chance to give some of these new songs a live outing and the duo took the opportunity to shine.
With harmonies to die for, Paul & Kath were the perfect aperitif for the Californian Jonathan as they brought the sunshine of their hook laden melodies to the Ifor tonight.
They played a couple of established favourites with the inclusion of Living In A Small Town and Mother Earth.
Living In A Small Town
From the new album, we are treated to Sad Pariah (with Paul singing lead) and Cards (with Kath singing lead). I always love to hear Paul and Kath singing as a duo because it's a treat to hear the songs how they must have been written, with just a guitar.
If you ever go to see a Zervas & Pepper show then you're always treated to an interesting cover and tonight they really plucked out a killer with a lovely version of Neil Young's Through My Sails from his 1975 album Zuma.
To end the set, they played the final song from the new album - There Is Only Love.
A small but perfect performance and an introduction to the new songs live - setting it up nicely for their own tour later in the year.
There Is Only Love
With the crowd nicely warmed up, it was time for Jonathan Wilson to take the stage. He is very much the laid back Californian you hope he would be and he gets a chance to show some of his personality tonight in this more intimate setting. Now on his third album, Jonathan focuses tonight on his latest magnum opus, Rare Birds. He opens the set with Loving You from said album,
Armed with an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, a keyboard and a small drum machine, he moved between the instruments keeping the show interesting and inventive.
Loving You
Known very much as a record producer as well as a recording musician, it was interesting to see how he presented the songs in this acoustic setting. And very different from their album versions. Much like Zervas & Pepper it was great to see the songs stripped back to their very essence. Exactly how they must have been written, But what songs were written on piano and what on guitar, (BESIDE THE OBVIOUS) he didn't say. You have to keep some mystery.
His albums are dense, beautifully recorded and sonically very inventive but even tonight in this stripped back presentation they lose none of their power and even the long songs of 8 minutes plus hold your attention throughout
During the show - we are treated to such tracks as, from the Rare Birds album, Rare Birds, Sunset Blvd, There's A Light and 49 Hairflips
Can We Really Party Today
With several of the songs hitting almost 8 minutes in length, you can see why a gig with Roger Waters might have appealed for Mr Wilson. You can see the influence of the Prog giants in his recorded work, as well as those West Coast giants and Laurel Canyon singer/songwriters and Harmony merchants.
There's A Light
Although tonight's show is Rare Birds heavy, Jonathan still has the sense to play some of the songs for his other 'Big' album, his debut, Gentle Spirit. Such as the magnificent Desert Raven, Ballad Of The Pines and Rolling Universe.
Desert Raven
There is no doubting Mr Wilson's skills as a musician and a vocalist and a maker of sonic soundscapes. He paints his albums with a multitude of sound and colours (which is why he is in such demand as a producer) and he brings these in a truncated form to these live solo shows.
Sunset Blvd
My highlight of the show was a magnificent interpretation of the best song from Rare Birds, the mammoth Over The Midnight, which showcased just how good a guitar player he is. No wonder Mr Waters chose him for his band,
Over The Midnight
Another of the shows highlights come next in the form of Trafalgar Square from Rare Birds which he introduces just operating his simple drum machine of the evening.
Trafalgar Square
Towards the end of the show Jonathan introduces his special guest as one of his 'favourite singers', Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals.
Now, I have to admit I know nothing of the recorded history of Super Furry Animals so I could not tell you the two songs they performed to finish the show. Although I can say they had a tremendous reception from the crowd, many of whom know the songs and sang with some passion
So many of my favourite JW songs, he didn't play. Almost all of the Fanfare album was neglected. SO for his next show, I'd love to see a bit more from this album. But for now, I'll take all that I'm given. It'll be interesting to see where he goes after Rare Birds. Hopefully some Epic Americana but don't stop at 8 minutes Jonathan, let's see how far you can go.
Twitter - @songsofjw
Twitter - @zervaspepper
Twitter - @little_redmusic
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