Lucinda Williams is one of the finest living exponents of the well made song, making sceptics into country rock apologists, and her uncommonly lean and literate lyrics inevitably inspire speculation on the influence of her father, the poet Miller Williams. Now in her mid-50’s, Williams is a sand-blasted frontierswomen, her voice coarsened into richer colours. The Shepherd’s Bush Empire’s sold-out crowd of forty-something men rightly adore her, over-compensating for her apparent unease with great, soft, warm surges of stage-bound love. But where once Williams’s shows rode Alternative Country’s first wave with raucous unruliness, her current set has hardened into routine. A production manager turns the pages of a ledger of lyrics. Crass lighting dictates appropriate emotional responses, rather than allowing her subtle songs the luxury of ambiguity.
Doug Pettibone delivers stillborn guitar solos, their endings evident in their very beginnings. It all sounds just like the record, tonight mainly 1998’s breakthrough Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, newly re-released with extra tracks. As Bob Dylan knows, the only way to deal with a weighty back catalogue is to ignore it, or abuse it and see if it still comes up shining, but Williams is cautious and tentative with her litter of songs. In the closing minutes, a blistering Real Live Bleeding Fingers.. picks up the pace before special guest Bruce Springsteen arrives to help bludgeon L’il Son Jackson’s blues Disgusted to death. Apart from a perfunctory drum solo, the closing number Joy allows the band to loosen up and hit an energy level that Williams’s shows used to start at and build from. Ten years ago, at this same venue, Emmylou Harris showcased her groundbreaking Wrecking Ball album to visibly distressed fans, who ultimately learned to love it. Williams could be a similarly bold elder stateswoman, but tonight she looks like she’d rather be Sheryl Crow.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk