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Kevin Montgomery and The Road Trippers The Polish Club, Bristol - 14th January 2006 By Lois Elsden The moon was full and the sky was full of stars as I set off to Bristol. Seemed like a good omen for a great night!! I managed to find my way across Bristol to pick up Hannah from the station, delighted to be going to see Kevin together. Amazingly I found my way back across Bristol (apart from a detour down a buses only lane) Hannah had booked a hotel for the night and it was directly opposite the Polish Club - how lucky is that! A nice hotel too. We found a parking space a couple of hundred yards away and we strolled down to the venue. We were among the first to arrive and soon met up with friends -meeting some for the first time. It's amazing how nice all Kevin's fans are, really lovely people. The Polish Club is a great venue and I've always had a wonderful time there. Although it was January 14th the Christmas decorations were still up which added a really festive if slightly surreal touch. There was even a fully decked Christmas tree on stage, although it didn't play anything or join in, just remained darkly and mysteriously Nordic in the corner just behind Al. We went through to wait by the stage and found some seats near the front. It's a standing only venue but people sat down while they were waiting. At first it was only a few but then everyone started bringing chairs through and soon the dance space was packed with people sitting. Disaster! Where would we dance? How could I get close enough to Robert? Jill Jackson and friend came on to open the show. She was excellent, and lovely too, but the audience were really stodgy and unenthusiastic because of course they were all sitting down! After their very good set I made a quick dash to the ladies and while I was there someone organized the audience and the chairs were cleared and I fought my way through to the front where Hannah had reserved me a place just opposite Robert's mic! Kevin drifted on in his usual diffident way, smiley and with a couple of beers. Mike joined him and they sang several numbers. As usual I was too taken with watching and enjoying them to remember what they sang. They were joined by Al and then Robert, in an interesting patterned jacket, and Paul looking his usual cool self, and the night really started! It was great to hear some new numbers from Kevin (including one written by Ashley Monroe, a young woman songwriter) as well as many old favourites. He is gifted in so many ways, writer, singer, performer, mime artist (no that's a joke) and such a very nice person too. It became hotter and hotter, Robert took off his rather fine jacket and kept threatening to take off more clothes, but sadly never kept his word. It was a very 'up' set, lots of rocking. There was an acoustic break in the middle when Kevin sang a new song, and Mike sang 'Right before Your Eyes' from his cd, ('Million Miles', anyone who doesn't have it - you must add it to your collection! As well as being a great guitar player, Mike writes some fab songs and has a great voice) It was a bonus that we had a number from Robert, 'Pretty Like You' from his new cd, 'Wintersky Works' - another 'must-have' in anyone's collection. I missed his solo tour with the Felsons last year; I just hope he does another one! The band reformed for the last part of the night. By this time it was even hotter, everyone (except Paul) was perspiring, even the walls were sweating! The last set absolutely rocked, it was fab! At one point Al was standing on his stool really grooving. Robert did an amazing rendition of 'Las Vegas' - that is my all time favourite stage number! He is such a talented singer and performer; if you haven't seen him live on stage with Kevin then you have really missed a great act! They rocked on into a medley of Who, Stones, and other numbers. Paul as usual was a controlled maniac on the drums, at times his expression almost Zen-like in his calmness while his body created a frenzy of percussion! I was watching his technique and the variety of different sounds he gets from any one of his instruments, just on the cymbals he scratched, tapped, rolled his stick from the edge inward and then in the other direction, hit it with the brush, the handle, fingers - what a virtuoso! He is just incredible! As ever with Kevin's concerts,
a lot of the fun came from the repartee between the band (I was
going to say witty repartee but….) There were the usual funny
incidents, Kevin forgetting the words, in-jokes between the boys,
the bantering dialogue between Kevin and Robert (Brokeback Mountain….?
West Texas…?) and the spooky door slam as Kevin sang 'I heard
the screen door slamming'. I drove home with my head full of music and images, the moon still in the sky, clouds drifting. It was a marvellous evening, I am just so fortunate to be seeing them next week in Shebbear! By Lois 2:30am (no not Kevin's cd but the time of writing, just got home from Bristol!) Songs (in a fairly random
order and not definitive - Hannah will no doubt have a complete
list in her head in running order!) Ed: You can't leave out the brilliant 'One After 909'!;-) - Hannah Click here to view some photos from the night (Link opens in a new window) |