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