A sold out show! I was ready to be Heartbroken on a trip back to the 80s and 90s with Lloyd Cole but not prepared to laugh and smile quite so much as I did.
Four beautiful acoustic guitars stood lined up against a dramatic red back drop. Lloyd took to the stage in a quiet unassuming manner and immediately broke the ice with a quip about none of us getting any younger. The crowd were collectively set at ease and relaxed into an up close and personal treat.
I was transported by his trademark warm melancholy. In calm, easy style, Lloyd delivered a host of beautifully crafted tracks interspersed with witty self deprecating humour covering such topics as his middle aged need for specs in order to tune his guitar and his “double-denim” attire.
It seems I had him wrong all those years ago; that moody, angry looking young man was just trying to look “neutral and serious” and consciously trying not to smile too big in case his face looked “too wide” in the photos.
It was with such endearing anecdotes, quips and gentle banter that he had the crowd eating out of his hand in no time. We were invited to sing along at times and help with the challenging refrain at the end of “Jennifer She said” but smilingly advised against attempting to clap along to the drum rhythms at any point.
He spoke about his new box set and how production of that had come about. Happily I’d taken delivery of mine in the post a day or so ahead of release!
I was moved by his cover of Prince’s “Sometimes It Snows In April” (and enjoyed the back to back Prince tracks played during the whole of the interval).
Lloyd was joined on stage by a talented young guitarist – and quipped dryly, “You can see I went to a lot of trouble to find a young man who plays guitar and looks just like me back in the 80s (slight pause) had I been in Jesus and The Mary Chain”. This was our introduction to his son, William Cole.
It was a joy to experience father and son sharing the stage and their passion for music. The apple certainly hasn’t fallen far from the tree.
I had a truly memorable evening and was reminded what a fabulous story teller Lloyd Cole is. Come back soon Lloyd!
Setlist
· Patience (Rattlesnakes 1983)
· Perfect Blue (Easy Pieces 1985)
· Rattlesnakes (Rattlesnakes 1984)
· Sometimes It Snows In April (Prince Cover)
· I didn’t know that you cared (Love Story 1995)
· Love Ruins Everything (Love Story 1995)
· Lonely Mile (B side to single The Hip from Mainstream 1987)
· Pretty Gone (Easy Pieces 1985)
· My Bag (Mainstream 1987)
· Butterfly (Don’t Get Weird on me Babe 1991)
· Segue into Leonard Cohen’s Blue Raincoat
· So You’d like to Save The World (Bad Vibes 1993)
· Jennifer She Said (Mainstream 1987)
Interval
· Mainstream (Mainstream 1987)
· Don’t Look Back (Lloyd Cole 1990)
· Mr Malcontent (Mainstream 1987)
· Like Lovers Do (Love Story 1995)
· Are You ready To Be Heartbroken
· Cut Me Down (Easy Pieces 1985)
· Charlotte Street (Rattlesnakes 1984)
· Perfect Skin (Rattlesnakes 1984)
· 2CV (Rattlesnakes 1984)
· Undressed (Lloyd Cole 1990)
· Four Flights Up (Rattlesnakes 1984)
· No Blue Skies (Lloyd Cole 1990)
· No More Love Songs
· Hey Rusty (Mainstream 1987)
· Brand New Friend (Easy Pieces 1985)
Encore
· Lost Weekend (Easy Pieces 1985)
· Forest Fire (Rattlesnakes 1984)
Review & Pics by Cheryl Williams
