Steve Martin at the Royal Festival Hall
Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon RangersMary Black
Royal Festival Hall, 9 November 2009
On paper the idea of a Hollywood comedian indulging in a spot of serious banjo-playing sounds more curious than entertaining but in this case the comedian in question is an absolutely superb banjo player who has just released the best banjo album of the year, full of bluegrass tunes he wrote himself. Add to that the fact that he's been playing with the first-rate bluegrass band, North Carolina's The Steep Canyon Rangers (who have to be some of the finest musicians I've ever witnessed), then what you have is a pretty damn good show. And that's not even taking into account that on stage (between songs) Steve Martin is still one hell of a funny guy.
But before Steve there was a supporting turn from Irish singer Mary Black. I had heard of Mary before and imagined her as a singer who specialised in traditional Irish songs but the truth is far less exciting (because I actually enjoy the older Irish folk songs - I remember, in Dublin once, a friend wouldn't agree to go anywhere with even the faintest sound of Irish music, insisting on somewhere playing modern music, which I couldn't understand, you can go to places like that anywhere in the world, but live Irish music, especially in its native land, is a joy). Mary Black it turns out sings mature sounding MOR music, heavy on ballads, not a million miles away from the likes of Beverley Knight or Dido (minus the dance beats). It's pleasant enough just not hugely memorable. The nearest she came to singing an Irish song was a traditional number that had been disappointingly reinvented as a Cuban-style rumba. I will say this though, her voice is tremendous, I just would have loved to have heard it used on something more distinctive.
Steve Martin though was in another league altogether. I must admit, as a comedian, he was something of a childhood hero of mine most notably for the films The Jerk and The Man With Two Brains. But tonight I wasn't expecting any comedy, just straight ahead bluegrass banjo (the concert was titled An Evening Of Bluegrass And Banjo afterall) as heard on his new album The Crow. As a banjo player he's up there, in fact he once won a Grammy for his work with Earl Scruggs, one of the most renowned banjo players there is (which certainly distinguishes him from some actor trying to turn his hobby into another career). Walking on stage wearing a 20s style suit with the equally stylish Steep Canyon Rangers in tow, the moment he began picking away on his banjo, for the song Hoedown At Alice's, it was clear he deserved to be there. "Only 37 songs left to go!" he joked after the first song, as if the show would be a chore that would seem three-times longer than it was, but thankfully the whole show as just as good as the opening number, each song (actually about 16 or 17 in total) a pure delight.
The set list, built around his new album, mixed upbeat instrumentals with a few vocal numbers (either sang by Martin or by the Rangers' guitarist Tim O'Brien, whose rich country voice reminded by of Vince Gill) and every song came with a quip-filled introduction by Steve. "Rolling Stone called this a 'worthwhile illegal download'," he said before launching into the jaunty Freddie's Lilt, while Late For School incorporated the jokes into the song, a tale, sung by Martin, of racing into school after sleeping in only to remember it's the weekend, that was funny but still musically rich.
"People ask me, 'Steve, why music now, at this time in your life?' and I reply 'But you're my band!" he joked, but his band, made-up of a fiddler, guitarist, mandolin player and an upright bassist, were obviously having a ball playing his songs with the man himself, and were absolutely exceptional in their own right. At one point Martin left the stage so they could play three songs by themselves, the highlight being the "spiritual" gospel number sung acappella almost stealing the show. That is until Martin came back out and offered up a hilarious song for all the non-religious who sadly didn't have any music to call their own called "Atheists Ain't Got No Songs".
Another great song came in the form of a song written for Martin's dog, called Wally On The Run, where the awesome violinist mimicked a dog barking and whining to brilliant effect and the poignant Daddy Played The Banjo, a song obviously inspired by his own childhood. An expert at the difficult clawhammer technique of banjo playing, it was spectacularly demonstrated by Martin on songs like Pitkin County Turnaround, the gorgeous sunny day lament of Words Unspoken and the Western-feel Saga Of The Old West a song he introduced as having "elements of sadness and melancholy - like the face of my manager when I told him I was doing a banjo tour".
The band resorted to a perennial favourite for the encore, Orange Blossom Special, which saw the guys jamming away, each taking a solo. It would have been a tremendous way to end the show but enticed back on stage one last time ("this has to be our last number" he told the crowd "because we don't know any more songs") we were treated to a bluegrass version of his big 70s comedy hit single King Tut, which was pure genius. Not surprisingly he got three standing ovations from the end of the show through the encores and deservedly so.
All this and I haven't even mentioned my favourite joke of the night: "In my home town there was man who spent 40 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Inspired by that I wrote a song called 'Isn't It Better Steve Is Out Free And Walking Around?'."
Joyous, uplifting, hilarious and musically brilliant, I really couldn't recommend seeing Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers more.
But before Steve there was a supporting turn from Irish singer Mary Black. I had heard of Mary before and imagined her as a singer who specialised in traditional Irish songs but the truth is far less exciting (because I actually enjoy the older Irish folk songs - I remember, in Dublin once, a friend wouldn't agree to go anywhere with even the faintest sound of Irish music, insisting on somewhere playing modern music, which I couldn't understand, you can go to places like that anywhere in the world, but live Irish music, especially in its native land, is a joy). Mary Black it turns out sings mature sounding MOR music, heavy on ballads, not a million miles away from the likes of Beverley Knight or Dido (minus the dance beats). It's pleasant enough just not hugely memorable. The nearest she came to singing an Irish song was a traditional number that had been disappointingly reinvented as a Cuban-style rumba. I will say this though, her voice is tremendous, I just would have loved to have heard it used on something more distinctive.
Steve Martin though was in another league altogether. I must admit, as a comedian, he was something of a childhood hero of mine most notably for the films The Jerk and The Man With Two Brains. But tonight I wasn't expecting any comedy, just straight ahead bluegrass banjo (the concert was titled An Evening Of Bluegrass And Banjo afterall) as heard on his new album The Crow. As a banjo player he's up there, in fact he once won a Grammy for his work with Earl Scruggs, one of the most renowned banjo players there is (which certainly distinguishes him from some actor trying to turn his hobby into another career). Walking on stage wearing a 20s style suit with the equally stylish Steep Canyon Rangers in tow, the moment he began picking away on his banjo, for the song Hoedown At Alice's, it was clear he deserved to be there. "Only 37 songs left to go!" he joked after the first song, as if the show would be a chore that would seem three-times longer than it was, but thankfully the whole show as just as good as the opening number, each song (actually about 16 or 17 in total) a pure delight.
The set list, built around his new album, mixed upbeat instrumentals with a few vocal numbers (either sang by Martin or by the Rangers' guitarist Tim O'Brien, whose rich country voice reminded by of Vince Gill) and every song came with a quip-filled introduction by Steve. "Rolling Stone called this a 'worthwhile illegal download'," he said before launching into the jaunty Freddie's Lilt, while Late For School incorporated the jokes into the song, a tale, sung by Martin, of racing into school after sleeping in only to remember it's the weekend, that was funny but still musically rich.
"People ask me, 'Steve, why music now, at this time in your life?' and I reply 'But you're my band!" he joked, but his band, made-up of a fiddler, guitarist, mandolin player and an upright bassist, were obviously having a ball playing his songs with the man himself, and were absolutely exceptional in their own right. At one point Martin left the stage so they could play three songs by themselves, the highlight being the "spiritual" gospel number sung acappella almost stealing the show. That is until Martin came back out and offered up a hilarious song for all the non-religious who sadly didn't have any music to call their own called "Atheists Ain't Got No Songs".
Another great song came in the form of a song written for Martin's dog, called Wally On The Run, where the awesome violinist mimicked a dog barking and whining to brilliant effect and the poignant Daddy Played The Banjo, a song obviously inspired by his own childhood. An expert at the difficult clawhammer technique of banjo playing, it was spectacularly demonstrated by Martin on songs like Pitkin County Turnaround, the gorgeous sunny day lament of Words Unspoken and the Western-feel Saga Of The Old West a song he introduced as having "elements of sadness and melancholy - like the face of my manager when I told him I was doing a banjo tour".
The band resorted to a perennial favourite for the encore, Orange Blossom Special, which saw the guys jamming away, each taking a solo. It would have been a tremendous way to end the show but enticed back on stage one last time ("this has to be our last number" he told the crowd "because we don't know any more songs") we were treated to a bluegrass version of his big 70s comedy hit single King Tut, which was pure genius. Not surprisingly he got three standing ovations from the end of the show through the encores and deservedly so.
All this and I haven't even mentioned my favourite joke of the night: "In my home town there was man who spent 40 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Inspired by that I wrote a song called 'Isn't It Better Steve Is Out Free And Walking Around?'."
Joyous, uplifting, hilarious and musically brilliant, I really couldn't recommend seeing Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers more.
Comments
Post a Comment