Entertainment For Lively Minds
A Dysfunctional Success
So, two gigs in Bristol in the space of five days and two very different experiences.
This being the second time I'd seen them, I was looking forward tremendously to Mumford & Sons at the Thekla. Back in January in the sweaty depths of Moles in Bath they'd spent an hour-long set convincing me they truly were the NBT by sheer force of presence, melody and close-harmony occasion. Last week they were tired. It was the first night of their debut album-promoting tour, but after a summer of festivals and their Macabees-support stint, they were distant and it was a get-the-job-done-and-go 50 mins. OK, so I caught them on a less-than-perfect night. Yes, I still think they'll be huge. And in a few years time they'll have the material to extend the set.
Four days later I'm at the opening night of another UK tour – Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby's short schlep around pubs & clubs in a converted Renault ambulance to promote... well, nothing really. They want to make a modest living. "We haven't got a pension so we're gonna be doing this for a looooong time yet. Sorry." as Eric wryly observed. Needless to say their combined ages exceed that of all four Mumfords put together.
Anyway, this was a deeply contrasting experience – for over two hours they gave it everything. For an audience of approximately 30 in a small pub. It was warm, it was funny, it was sharp, it was intense.. and very possibly one of the best gigs I've been to in recent years. A total surprise. I can't recommend them highly enough and really can't figure why he's been on the margins for so long (80s boozathon lost period notwithstanding). His weekly 'radio show' podcast has become one of my must-listens right up there beside the output from Word Towers, the latest album with his wife Amy Rigby is delightful (found via recent inclusion on 'Now Hear This', thanks!), the autobiograpy "A Dysfunctional Success" is one of the best I've read from anyone in the business, they're quite obviously both warm, funny and very genuine people and that comes across in spades.... errr, I'd burble on enthusiastically some more, but won't.
Just think they deserve a few props, that's all. And a few more folks at their remaining dates.
http://www.wrecklesseric.com/live.htm
http://wrecklessericofficial.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/thewreckeric
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Newhaven Boy!
As far as I know, our only claim to fame - they don't come much better than that!
Eric & Amy are magnificent
I'm one of the few that was a big Wreckless Eric fan and a big Amy Rigby fan. When they started touring together it was a huge bonus as I was getting two shows for the price of one. Personally I think that some of Amy's more delicate songs should be done without Eric being over exuberant on stage at the same time buut overall I like the pairing and it's always a bonus when Eric includes a reading from his brilliant book at a gig. I've said it before, I think this would make a great audiobook (as long as it's read by the author!). There's something wrong when Amy is looking to other sources of income when there are talentfree people making money.
exhuberance???
Amy and I are both wondering what these 'more delicate' songs are. I'm also wondering when I've been over exuberant - in the four years that Amy and I have been playing together I've worked very hard at minimising my playing on her songs to no more than what is required.
'Exhuberant' by the way is one of those words that should be banned from critical journalism along with 'chortles', 'wry' and 'intones'.
I'd like to know exactly when and where you think I've been over exhuberant on Amy's more delicate songs and what do you expect me to do while she's performing these delicate items. Should I leave the stage? We're working as a band here, not two solo artists on a stage sharing scheme.
I'm glad you like my book - I tend to shy away from including readings at our gigs for the reason stated above.
And I'm pleased that someone's finally acknowledged my Newhaven origins - it's probably the first time ever. I get the impression that Newhaven is more proud of its smack problem than it is of me!
Please don't bar me!
I've re-read my post and I think I worded it badly. Really what I should have said was that I think some of your songs are better solo, some of Amy's songs are better solo and most of both your back catalogues are better as "a band". I think you were a bit loud on a couple of Amy's songs once - I really can't think what they might have been as it was early last year. Last time I saw you I thought it was nearly perfect and I would have been the one in the corner with a silly grin on my face. I'm planning to see you next week in London and really if you sing "Dancing With Joey Ramone" and "Whole Wide World" together I'l go away happy whatever else you sing. Having introduced me to The Trip Wires via your radio show already this year, any other joy you can bring me will be a bonus.
Don't think I'll bar you -
Don't think I'll bar you - I'm not running a pub here!
we've found that some songs don't work so well when we do them together, particularly some of my more idiosyncratic moments, so we tend to steer clear of them. We've sometimes fallen victim to the vagaries of idiot sound engineers - acid casualties and chancers who do a fine job of further unbalancing us. We've been lucky recently - a run of six dates with great sound. It'll probably all go wrong at the weekend!
Come and see us at The Buffalo Bar next Wednesday. And keep listening to the show.
Eric
Newhaven
Was the perfect place to grow up: woods, fields, beaches, cliffs - it was a great little town back then.
Newhaven, au revoir
...and it seems, 35 years after Lord Lucan slammed the door on a Corsair, even Parker Pens are f**king off to France.
Eric, your hometown may need you...
They just don't know it yet. ;+)
and they'll come and play in your front room...
Sorry, don't know how do do those fancy quote boxes, but:
"We've played for as few as ten people, all avid fans, and as many as a hundred (some of whom were drunk and falling into the sherry trifle, but that's another story).
We bring all the equipment we need, you don't have to supply anything except electricity, a space for us to play in, some people to play to, and possibly something to eat. Apart from that you might just have to move the sofa.
And we even do requests (as long as we get a bit of notice).
For more details email Eric: wrecklesseric@hotmail.co.uk"
What a great idea!