Some words and images from Alan Dearling
Very much an intimate show at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge.
Two raconteurs and troubadours. Both hailing from the increasingly Dis-United States of America. They are both fine song-smiths. But hey, most of all they are Ramblin’ Men – individually and collectively – perhaps they are the authentic Americana Ramblers. A lot of words, anecdotes, tales of hard-travelling, stories of being song-slingers on the never-ending journey, known communally by musos around the globe, as being ‘on the road’.
Some very fine songs from both guys, full of tall tales, mishaps, and as Sid suggested, “Original Sin!” Peter Case and Sid Griffin are well-regarded for their respective work in The Plimsouls/The Nerves and The Unclaimed/The Long Ryders. They also spent a lot of time sharing their thoughts on their own mortality, “Like you guys in the audience, we’re getting older”, and musings on the moralities of the USA. And Sid in particular still looks back over his shoulder for inspiration from Woody Guthrie (and his son, Arlo). The Coal Porters’ song ‘Mister Guthrie’ was one of Sid’s standout tracks. Sid is the guy without a fulsome beard!
Mardi Gras and the spirit of New Orleans was evoked by Peter in one of his opening songs, which I think was something like, ‘Flying Crow Blues’. Both talked a lot about their longevity, thoughts on getting old, of past lives, fights and confrontations, flights of fancy…bands, tours, a lot of autobiographies told and sung in their mode as Americana ‘Ramblin’ Men’. Sid sang ‘Why I play guitar’ with the line “A little bit late to be a star’. Peter took us by the collective hands into a bordello to meet Nicole in the ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’, and on a musical Odyssey with his son who became ‘so much older than he was’ during their shared adventures on the musicians’ road. There was plenty of name dropping, Sid remembered his days with Jackson Browne and Peter informed us that Richard Thompson played on at least one of his records. Peter also provided some great entertainment and guitar licks on Memphis Minnie’s ‘Bumble Bee’.
It was a night filled to overflowing with very personal information sharing and lots of laughter. Sid’s dog song is an old favourite with his fans: “I want to be the man he thinks I am!” And Sid gently took the piss, saying he was running over his allotted time slot so would only do two more songs, “Maybe In-a-gadda-da-vida and Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands”. You could tell that it was a ‘mature’ audience for their show. Many got the Iron Butterfly/Dylan joke. Both artists also shared new material. Peter with ‘Girl in love with a shadow’ and the gospel-tinged, a cappella, harmonica-drenched, ‘Somebody told the truth’ with the audience clapping along and harmonising. It’s the featured track from his new live album. Sid had reciprocated with a new Long Ryders’ song, ‘Four winters away’, a proposed toast to the future. And the powerful, ‘Stand a little further in the fire’ about the life-chances for a Class A drug addict. Together they joined together in a fitting finale, with Peter reprising ‘Horse and Crow’ from his considerable back catalogue of music. Original recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfCJ4H6P9og
All in all, a great night of entertainment. Perhaps a little too many wordy comedic interludes, which slightly overshadowed the great songs and musicianship.
Finally, a little more background info on the two performers based on their promo information:
Peter Case is a versatile American singer-songwriter whose career spans decades and multiple genres, from punk rock to Americana. In the late 1970s, he co-founded the influential punk band, The Nerves, whose song ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ was famously covered by Blondie. Case later fronted the popular power-pop group, The Plimsouls, known for their hit single ‘A Million Miles Away’, featured in the movie, ‘Valley Girl’.
Launching a Grammy-nominated solo career in 1986, Case transitioned toward a folk-blues troubadour style, though he has continued to incorporate rock elements. His prolific solo work, which includes acclaimed albums like ‘The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar’ and ‘Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John’, showcases his insightful lyrics and passionate delivery.
A highly respected ‘songwriter’s songwriter,’ Case’s enduring legacy has been honoured with a tribute album featuring his peers. (‘A Case for Case’, including tracks by John Prine and Joe Ely)
Peter Case – ‘Somebody Told The Truth (My Life To Live – Live at McCabe’s)’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWEby3e-s_Y
Kentucky-born singer, songwriter, and author Sid Griffin is a pivotal figure in the Americana music scene. In the 1980s, he co-founded the influential alt-country pioneers, The Long Ryders, whose blend of 1960s-influenced roots rock earned them a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame‘s Western Edge exhibition. Relocating to London, Griffin later formed the acoustic alt-bluegrass outfit, The Coal Porters.
Beyond his band work, Griffin is a prolific solo artist and a respected music historian. He has authored books on figures like Bob Dylan and Gram Parsons and contributed to numerous publications such as Mojo and The Guardian. His wide-ranging career also includes record producing and regular appearances as a musicologist on the BBC.
Long Ryders’ new single ‘Four Winters Away’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZiLFYewTMI
Peter and Sid suggest that you visit them at: www.petercase.com & www.sidgriffin.com for more.
