Consummate
Enjoyed a great gig by The Delines at The Tunnels in Bristol
as the band began their UK tour having just returned from New Zealand and
Australia. The show was supported by the band’s, and Willy Vlautin’s, Portland-based
good friend Fernando Viciconte who played a fine acoustic set having returned to
performing after a longish spell of being ill. Fernando was clearly very
pleased to be playing, and he was a warm and enthusiastic person to talk with.
His songs are largely intense personal stories sung with a powerful, emotive
vocal that reminded me of Jimmy LaFave. You can hear one of his latest songs The Dogs
here, and there are further downloads available here.
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| Fernando at The Tunnels |
The Delines played a wonderfully engaging set including key
tracks from their album Colfax,
including Calling In, Colfax Avenue, The
Oil Rigs at Night, State Line, Flight 31, and in the encore, I Won’t Slip Up [all reviewed here]. I
don’t need to say much more really on how highly I rate these, but as with
Vlautin’s other band Richmond Fontaine and their last album The
High Country, on which Amy Boone
also took the storytelling vocal - here - the despondency and [if it isn’t an exaggeration] everyday
nihilism of the narratives are less foreboding when performed within the high
spirits and band repartee of a live gig. This doesn’t in any way diminish the
emotive impact when being sung live by Amy where they are in fact even more
poignant. But as a live experience it is as uplifting as it is a touchstone to
the power of consummate storytelling about the often harsh realities of our lives.
Righteous. Very thoughtful review of two great and rare acts!
ReplyDeleteThank you Buzz. It must be special to be a part of the Portland music scene.
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