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.
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Bosco239, youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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World Without End, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Hiewy, Youtube
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury