AMERICANA SINGER-SONGWRITER, BANJO, GUITAR PLAYING VOCALIST AND FORMER FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW WILLIE WATSON MAKES HIS SECOND TOUR OF THE UK AND IRELAND AS A SOLO PERFORMER.
THERE’S A LOT OF WEIGHT IN THE WAY WILLIE WATSON PERFORMS, ADDING HE’S HAD SOME TRAGEDY IN HIS LIFE, WHICH HAS INFORMED HIS ART. THERE’S AN EMOTIONAL EDGE TO WHAT HE DOES BECAUSE WHO HE IS AS A HUMAN BEING. WILLIE IS THE ONLY ONE OF HIS GENERATION WHO CAN MAKE ME FORGET THESE SONGS WERE EVER SUNG BEFORE. David Rawlings.
Willie Watson makes a welcome return to the UK (and Ireland) as a solo act, and with his acclaimed Folk Singer Vol 1 debut on Rawlings’ Acony Records label still fresh in people’s mind the banjo, guitar playing vocalist is worth travelling to see.
Watson’s music heritage steeped in Appalachian folk, mountain music, blues, country and western folk balladry in no particular order is enriched due to his impassioned performances of songs to have stood the test of time on the above noted album. Songs ranging from Ledbelly's “Midnite Special”, “Long John Dean”, blues classic “Keep It Clean”, “Kitty Puss”, “Mexican Cowboy” and from more recent times, Bruce 'Utah' Phillips' “Rock, Salt & Nails” among others every bit worthy of attention.
Though no longer with the Old Crows the spirit of them is still carried by the former joint lead vocalist, songwriter and more, only now Watson's music today is keener, stripped back and organic as it comes. Going solo and the manner he has underlines just how capable today’s best of the idiom are when it comes to preserving the heritage of the music and as the case with Watson able to take it an additional few miles further along the road. A view jointly held by Rawlings. To whom Watson is greatly indebted as he carves out a new career, one where he feels more in charge of his music than he ever has. As a performer Watson needs seeing in person, his intense approach and passion for the material would be hard to match, by any act today or from yesteryear.
Tour dates as follows, among which you have two appearances at Perth's Southern fried Festival and one over in Roscrea, Co Tipperary Ireland.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maurice Hope