Richard Thompson Rollcall

[runwhiteyrun06]

Who's going?

I'm actually going to the Delaware show as I can't afford to go to the Delaware and 930 show, but I would love to hear reviews from people who go tonight.

This will be my first time seeing him with a band; I saw him in August at a solo performance.

[Mr.Whippy]

I'm going to Wilmington DE show as well, but you already knew that.  If I remember from the last Thompson 9:30 show, a few other forum members went to see him.

[runwhiteyrun06]

Anyone go?

[Mark_Read]

Great show. I'd seen him before but this is the first time with a band. He played the new album start to finish in the first half and then the "hits with a small h" after a short intermission. 2.5 hours plus intermission and some of the best guitar playing I've ever heard. The band were tremendous as well. Really happy I decided to see this one.

[runwhiteyrun06]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I will post a review after the Delaware show tomorrow.

[snailhook]

I came down from Philly to see the Wilmington show tonight, too.  Man, the Grand Opera House is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL place to see a show.  I splurged for a best seat available and ended up in the front row of the left "balcony" (which was really more like a low mezzanine).  Can't complain about that.  The place wasn't even half-full.

I've seen RT maybe around 12 times, slightly more solo than with his band, and I love both formats equally. Pete Zorn was fantastic as always on a multitude of brass and stringed instruments, as was Michael Jerome on drums, who seems to improve every time I see him.  Wonderful work by the violinist as well, whose name I can't remember.  Like the poster above stated, the first set was the new album in its entirety, in order, and the second set and encore were a mix of old "hits."

Of the new material, the highlights were the mournful "Among the Gorse, Among the Grey," "Demons in Her Dancing Shoes," "Crimescene," and the epic closer "If Love Whispers Your Name."  Of the 13 new songs, there were no outright stinkers -- there never really are with RT -- but a couple of them were merely OK if unmemorable ("Haul Me Up", "Bad Again").  As for the older material, there were no surprises except for a nice version of "Time Will Show the Wiser," a great song from Fairport Convention's debut.  "Wall of Death" was especially poignant.

I might see them on Tuesday in Collingswood NJ at the Scottish Rite Auditorium.  RT still looks and sounds great for his age (61), and the band sounds as tight as ever.  The set list for those who care:

Set I
The Money Shuffle
Among the Gorse, Among the Grey
Haul Me Up
Burning Man
Here Comes Geordie
Demons in Her Dancing Shoes
Crimescene
Big Sun Falling in the River
Stumble On
Sidney Wells
A Brother Slips Away
Bad Again
If Loves Whispers Your Name

Set II
Time Will Show the Wiser (Fairport Convention)
Can't Win
One Door Opens
Al Bowlly's in Heaven
I'll Never Give It Up
Wall of Death
Tear Stained Letter

Encore
Take Care the Road You Choose
Man in Need

[Mr.Whippy]

The ? you have in your encore setlist is "One Door Opens" from 2003's Old Kit Bag record.

Agreed that the venue in Wilmington was amazing.  Great place for a show and I would easily go back there for something good.

I thought the set of new material was great overall and probably even better than the "hits" set because it was more vital and a picture of Thompson at the moment.  I agree with Snailhook that there are a few lesser songs, but the new record is a great body of work overrall.

I've seen him about 25-30 times since 1988, and it really seems like absolutely nothing has diminished over time, if anything he just gets sharper and fiercer and even more on his game.  That's pretty amazing for someone over 40 years into their career at this point. 

[runwhiteyrun06]

Great show.

I agree that the Grand Opera House is a really great place to see a show. I will definitely try to see a show there again. Also, any venue where you can get a Yuengling and Captain and Coke for only 9 dollars is good in my book (I'm looking at you 930).

The band sounded great; there was some especially fierce drumming by Michael Jerome. I've never seen a band show before so I really enjoyed the 2nd set. I thought Can't Win was especially good.  I can't believe RT is 61 and still sounds and plays so well. I am having trouble thinking of one of his contemporaries that still puts on such a great show.

[snailhook]

Thanks for the info, Mr. Whippy.  For some reason, I never picked up a copy of the Old Kit Bag, though I have every one of his other releases.  I did see him on that tour, though.

The band sounded great; there was some especially fierce drumming by Michael Jerome. I've never seen a band show before so I really enjoyed the 2nd set. I thought Can't Win was especially good.  I can't believe RT is 61 and still sounds and plays so well. I am having trouble thinking of one of his contemporaries that still puts on such a great show.

Other than some free jazz guys like Marshall Allen and Sam Rivers and Roscoe Mitchell, other than Neil Young, there are no contemporaries of Thompson's who have been as consistently ferocious, lyrical, and progressive over the past 40 years. I'm a Neil Young apologist -- I even find songs on his "bad" albums that are good -- but RT's worst songs are exponentially better than Young's throwaways. Other guys like Michael Chapman, Bert Jansch and Robert Wyatt have been consistently excellent but only exclusively in the acoustic realm.