Glenn Tilbrook – 2 October 2006 – live at The Glee Club Cardiff

One Response to "Glenn Tilbrook – 2 October 2006 – live at The Glee Club Cardiff"

KayJay says:

20 April 2010 at 9:59 pm

Having recovered from yesterday’s rush, with no food and a stiff neck, a drive home when tired and hungry (yet past that stage of being able to face food!) and getting in at one, a trip to the vet with a dog this morning, and with a cup of decent cappuccino in front of me, I finally have time to contemplate last night’s double-header gig.

Hmmm. An odd night, I felt. It being a Yamaha-sponsored event, I suppose I shouldn’t have expected a normal Glenn gig, but I sort of did – or hoped, anyway. It was a less-than-capacity audience, and at one point I thought there may only be about 50 there; by the time Glenn came on I’d guess 100, 150? Nowhere near as many as were there to see Glenn and the Fluffers two years ago. So. On comes a bloke from Yamaha to announce the evening’s entertainment, three guitar virtuosos with very different styles. He wasn’t joking. The first chap, Dave Goodman, was a finger-picking blues player, not bad but not my style. Second was Antonio Forcione, announced as “the Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic”. Er. Astounding guitar-playing, yes. But verging on self-indulgent showing-off, for me at least. Yes, I’m a philistine, I never liked 15-minute drum solos either, and perhaps one needs to be a musician to fully appreciate the technical skill (and there was undoubtedly plenty of that). But most of it somehow left me cold. I’m not really into instrumental stuff at the best of times – for me, it’s not just the music but the words and the voice as well – and this bloke’s made 13 albums of the stuff……mind-boggling!

Finally, on came Glenn, in a suit and pointy shoes. Not seen him that smart in a long time! He was most entertaining, lots of banter, terrific guitar-playing (Voodoo Child showed who the REAL Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic is!) and a fair cross-section of material. Much bouncing in seat by me (I HATE these seated gigs!) and some self-conscious singing-along. Only an hour though, and no encore despite demands for one; by the time we left, when the staff were encouraging people to push off, he hadn’t appeared for a meet-and-greet either. I guess time restrictions and the corporate nature of the gig had an effect, but it did seem a shame. I think his usual Taylor guitars have a better sound than those he was using last night, too! Sorry Yamaha! (Didn’t stop us entering the prize draw to win a couple of grand’s worth of guitar signed by Glenn and Antonio!)
So….overall, I’m left with a sense of disappointment. Yes, Glenn was great as usual, but I’ve been spoiled by his brilliant solo gigs maybe. I think if I’d realised at the time I booked what the nature of the gig was, I probably wouldn’t have gone.
Roll on the proper tour!!

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