It was Lonesome Highway’s first visit to this impressive, more intimate venue (seated capacity 2800), part of the huge O2 Arena complex. First up was Sam Williams, performing songs from his debut album, Glasshouse Children, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar player. The album’s title song and Can’t Fool Your Own Blood showed that he has some potential as a songwriter, though many of his songs are co-writes and he leans towards a country pop sound, with vocals reminiscent of Dylan LeBlanc. He had a relaxed stage presence, cutting quite a dash in his cerise velvet suit and glittery boots, and wearing his grandfather’s white Stetson. He referred a couple of times to the pressure accompanying his legacy - he is the son of Hank Jnr, and grandson of Hank - which he struggles with and wants to be identified as a person and artist in his own right. Time will tell.
Marty Stuart then hit the stage with his Fabulous Superlatives and we were treated to a whirlwind 90 minute set of outstanding songs and instrumentals, covering the gamut of country music from bluegrass to Western Swing to gospel to Americana. Marty has a huge set list from which to choose, and wastes no time between songs, so anxious is he to put on a good show. Old favourites like Tear The Woodpile Down, This One’s Gonna Hurt You, Time Don’t Wait and Tempted were interspersed with many cover songs, where Marty generously pays tribute to other stalwarts of the genre. His blistering solo mandolin version of Orange Blossom Special is preceded by an extended affectionate anecdote of his meeting with the writer, Ervin T. Rouse. Travis Tritt’s The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’, Waylon’s I’ve Always been Crazy and Marty Robbins’ El Paso are superb. Marty’s generosity also extends to allowing his band to shine individually, so we were treated to guitar maestro Cousin Kenny Vaughan’s version of his own song Country Music’s Got a Hold On Me; Handsome Harry Stinson emerged from behind the drum kit to play guitar and sing, mostly notably Woody Guthrie’s Pretty Boy Floyd; and Prof Chris Scruggs switched to upright bass for a phenomenal performance of Surfari’s surf rock anthem, Wipeout. We were also treated to some new songs - Friend Of Mine already sounds like a classic, while Sitting Alone was surprisingly Byrds-like, right down to Kenny Vaughan’s Rickenbacker guitar. Suffice it to say that the (below capacity) audience went home with a smile on their face and a satisfied mind.
Review and photo by Eilís Boland