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