Lloyd Cole
Towards the end of his set, Lloyd Cole makes reference to his audience being full of couples. Perspicaciously, he says that some don’t share the same degree of dedication to Cole’s songs as their partners and are at this gig under sufferance. Well, I am one of those people or, more accurately, I was when I arrived. You see, I am here more to keep the better ’alf happy than because of any liking for the music. I am pleased to say that, whilst the material might not be entirely my thing, this is in fact a corker of a show. Lloyd Cole is a damned fine songwriter with a cracking voice and a smart line in self-depreciating wit. So, yeah, I may have come along under protest but, when all is said and done, Lloyd Cole delivers a great show and I am glad that I have braved the snow and ice to be at (a chilly) Epic tonight.
Having released three LPs (and a best of) with the Commotions in the eighties along with sixteen and counting albums as a solo artist, Cole isn't one to look back to past glories. In his own words, he never wanted to be an oldies act. And yet, here he is, playing acoustic versions of songs written between 1983 and 1996 on what is billed as the Retrospective Tour. This sees Cole alone on stage with acoustic guitar, playing songs from his past in simple, stripped-down form.
The first of two sets takes in thirteen songs and runs for about forty minutes. The opening trio of Patience, Perfect Blue and Rattlesnakes must rank as one of the strongest ways to open a set that I have seen. The rest of the first set is almost as strong, with a take on Leonard Cohen’s Famous Blue Raincoat and closer Jennifer She Said being worthy of note.
From opener Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken through to closer Lost Weekend and taking in the likes of Brand New Friend, 2CV, Undressed, Mr Malcontent, Hey Rusty and Perfect Skin, the second set is, if anything, stronger still. Of course, there is an encore of Four Flights Up and Forest Fire.
This may not be the kind of gig that inspires wild dancing in the aisles. There was never going to be any circlemoshing or stagediving or crowdsurfing - the audience is far too civilised and, dare I say, a little mature for that - but, hey, sometimes it is nice just to sit and enjoy a great songwriter and raconteur do his stuff. If and when Mr Cole brings his show back to Norwich, I’ll be in the queue for tickets.
