Friday 26th April, Union Chapel, London, Ryan Bingham. The Union Chapel is a working church in North London and its moody lighting, high vaulted ceilings, stone walls, wooden pews make it the perfect setting for some great acoustics. Coupled with the supreme talent of Ryan Bingham, we are set fair for a perfect evening. And that’s exactly what we got.
With a new album out and a spectacular back catalogue of fine albums to draw from we are treated to ninety minutes of the finest country tunes you could wish for. Bingham is a great raconteur and regales us with stories of his childhood, upbringing, hitch hiking, learning the guitar, rodeos, musical influences and much more. It’s an emotional journey for both him and the audience and at one stage wiping away a few tears he recalls part of his eventful early life which drives home the importance of these autobiographical songs to him. More poignancy with the track ‘Wolves’ about gun crime and the reality of life in the US where he described an event where someone was shot outside his tour bus on his most recent US tour. Whats worse was this was not the first time this had happened.
There are lighter moments of course and such a rich and much travelled life can only provide even more material to his musical arsenal.
It’s difficult to find fault at all tonight, just a man with an acoustic guitar or two, perfect sound, great songs and that trademark whisky gravelled voice. Of course the oldies are welcomed with open arms but the new rockier tracks more than hold their own even in the acoustic setting.
To pick a highlight seems churlish as to denigrate the other tracks but of course ‘Southside of Heaven’, ‘Long way from Georgia’, a slightly reworked version of ‘Weary Kind’ and ‘Hallelujah’ nail it.
The dilemma now is do I bin off Band of Horses on the same night in June to see Ryan back again with full band. That’s a first world problem I am happy to have.
One final comment for the chapel, get some row and seat numbers to stop the bun fight to get a seat where there is I’m sure more coats left on pews than actual people attending. If the Ryman can do it then so can you.
Till the next time keep on country rockin y’all
Weezer
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