Who knows where the time goes. It’s hard to credit, but it’s all of 25 years since ANDY WHITE first appeared on our radar. Touted as the ‘Belfast Bob Dylan’ back in the day, he’s proved to be more than his own man where this singer/ songwriter malarkey is concerned and – to paraphrase the title of his book – he remains a credible 21st Century troubadour.
Lengthy forays in Europe are fewer and more far between for White these days. He’s called Australia home for a number of years now, but on the back of his excellent ‘Songwriter’ album he’s over here to get his feet under the table for a while. Tonight’s gig is the first stop on a lengthy trek around the highways and byways of the UK, but if he gets a similar reaction out in the provinces I think he’ll be satisfied.
The Green Note has a lovely, laid-back vibe. A short walk from Camden Town tube, it doubles as a tempting vegetarian restaurant and portraits of Neil Young, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell and (yes) a young Bob Dylan adorn its’ main room. It’s the ideal place for an intimate, if enthusiastically-received acoustic soiree such as this.
White’s set is (literally) one of two halves. Although he kicks off with the wryly-observed ‘Looking for James Joyce’s Grave’ and wheels out a ferocious version of his anti-sectarian anthem ‘Religious Persuasion’ early on, the first half is primarily concerned with songs from ‘Songwriter’ and its’ predecessor ‘Garageband.’ Andy’s lovely sister Cathy provides spirited vocal support and though the full band sound of his records is substituted for merely two 12-string acoustics, the hearts and souls of these beautifully-observed songs about the complexities of the human condition remain gloriously intact.
To these ears, ‘Songwriter’ is arguably White’s best album to date and we get some of its’ finest moments, ranging from the gorgeous ‘Valley of My Heart’ to the world-weary ‘If You Want It’ and the catchy ‘Start All Over Again’, which has a catch-line (“I think we look pretty good together”) cheekily reminiscent of The Who’s ‘Substitute’. Andy also wheels out the anthemic ‘Turn up the Temperature on the Machine of Love’, admitting beforehand that the ‘Spinal Tap’-esque title was suggested by an enthusiastic pre-teen relative.
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The second set cherry picks generously from White’s enviable back catalogue. ‘Vision of You’ is as spiky and sublime as ever, while ‘You Walked Back into My Heart’ is every bit as sunny and optimistic even without the funky drumming that dominates its’ recorded counterpart. Requests float in, though Andy misinterprets one for ‘I Will Wait’ from ‘Rave On’ as “Al Waite.” “Oh right, I thought you meant Albert Waite,” he grins, before kicking into a great version of the unscheduled song. A punchy ‘Street Scenes from My Heart’ then provides the ideal curtain closer, reminding us how naturally Andy White has always been able to marry erudite lyrics with cool pop hooks.
It’s been an absolute blast tonight. A great venue, a great vibe and a great performer who has not only survived, but whose muse continues to thrive all conspired to make a low-key show something so much more. Rave on Andy White. Here’s to your next 25 years.
Andy White online
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