Seán Kelly
MV Fixture
Posts: 242
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Re: The last time? I hope not! Pheasantry 12/11/24
« Reply #1: 13.11.24 at 19:09 » |
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OK here is a fuller report !
Well, let's hope it's not the last Atkin/Wallace gig at the Pheasantry. For sure we audience members crammed the place full - and from what I could see we all ate as if it was our first meal for a while 
Set One
1. Master of the Revels. Piano only. A perfect opener. Simon perhaps emphasising the rollicking rambunctious piano more than ever.
Then after the beginnings of applause into:
2. Sunlight Gate. G&P. Prompted by Armistice Day (the day before) said Pete. A complete change of tone and subject in this second song - few people can pull off such an abrupt change as this as successfully as Pete. One of his defining characteristics?
3. Ice Cream Man G&P. A great version.
4. Screenfreak. Piano only. Another older song very smoothly delivered.
5. If I Had My Time Again. G&P. As recorded by Julie Covington on her first album - but this was Pete's first public performance of the song. As noted in my earlier post this song will appear in an Australian feature film next spring. Pete's performance was lovely - gentle and reflective.
6. I See The Joker. Pete alone on Piano. A fierce performance. Introducing it Pete said that it is amazing how often one is able to identify this song with people in public life. Who could he have meant?!
7. Winter-Spring. Piano only. Pete said this was a song from an old man for a young girl - in this case his granddaughter. A sweet revelation. Pete also said that he believed that Clive had never heard him sing this song live - and so dedicated this song to him (in fact he had already dedicated the whole show to him - and fair enough too!).
8. Errant Knight. Piano only. Described by Pete as a protest song (haha!). Despite an invite the audience proved resistant to joining in on the chorus.
9. Where Have They All Gone? G&P Pete said it could be considered as an update from the character in Master of the Revels. Judging from Pete's tone the character is pretty miffed about his disappearing audience! Another fairly fierce rendition.
10. Have You Got A Biro I Can Borrow G&P. Perfectly delivered. Simon could change his name to Simpatico Wallace!
INTERVAL
Set Two
11. Sunlight. Piano only. A steady but gentle version. One of the few songs where the music came before the words said Pete - acknowledging that people always want to know such things. Although the words apparently arrived only 24 hours behind Pete playing the tune for Clive (whilst 'fooling around on the piano').
12. Beware of the Beautiful Stranger G&P. Pete began the first few bars alone on guitar and vocal before Simon rolled in beneath him. As good a performance as you would expect from this oft-performed old favourite.
13. Time To Burn. G&P A steady rhythmic pulse propelled this song of no regrets (or is it? I never quite know with Clive! Either way the time has been burned! Pete and Simon sounding like they could have kept on rocking all night !
14. Dancing Master. Piano only. Another lovely performance from Pete and Simpatico (it's gonna catch on I tell you!). Steady and yet moving.
15. King At Nightfall. G&P. You're going to have to learn how quick to play this - and that means slowly, watching all the angles. Stately is the only word I can find for the way that Pete and Simon perform this. It's a song that seems to me to continually get deeper and more profound.
16. The Closer Someone Is. Piano only. Beautiful - in the manner of an old jazz standard. A song dripping with romantic regret (despite Pete referring to regret as the most useless human emotion at one point later in the evening).
17. Here We Stay - a moderately militaristic version - perhaps a kind of hybrid of the two versions on the album?
18. You Can't Expect To Be Remembered. G&P. Rather wryly dedicated to Clive by Pete. Simon joining in on piano about halfway through when the title is sung for the second time and a regular beat takes over.
Before the last number of the set Pete spoke briefly about the 'glimmer' of a chance that this could be the last in the run of these gigs at the Pheasantry. We all noisily hoped not! But said Pete he would leave us without gloom or regrets - which made me think we might get something humourous but actually he played a rather poignant song:
19. Thirty Year Man. Piano only. Pete and Simon simply play this as one. There is something very special about these performances.
Lots of clapping and then they come back for encores, which both result from cries from the crowd. So we get two songs about trains :
20. Girl on the Train G&P. And then
21. The Original Original Honky Tonk Train. G&P. Two good old crowd-pleasers to finish with, and again, beautifully delivered. A treat.
As was the show itself. I can only second Pete's thanks to Simon and the staff at the Pheasantry including Alessandro on sound. And thanks of course to Pete himself - long may these gigs (or something like them!) continue.
That's it from your roving correspondent. As always any corrections to my fallible notes and recollections will be greatly appreciated.
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