This super busy August continues with two great acts in slots number 51 and 2, both playing solo in the refined ambience of the Green Note in Camden, a venue I really ought to visit more often, I like any venue that tells everyone before the acts go on that they need to be quiet and not use flash photography.
Michael Sheehy was on first and opened by apologizing that this was only the third time he'd played piano in public, so ladies and gents If You Think I'm Nervous well Michael certainly was, he needn't have worried, as apart from one minor glitch it sounded fine, as a slow darkened blues a little tentative, but he had a rapt audience totally onside.
He then switched to his trusty 12 string guitar for the gospel blues of One Day Away as we wondered just what tragedy might be just 24 hours away. He then took us back to his hard drinking days on Mary Bloody Mary a desperate tale of too much alcohol and not enough love even when that love is being sought in many of the wrong places.
As Michael switched to his 6-string guitar, he dedicated Who Will Be Your Witness to the recently departed Sinead O'Connor, as the catholic guilt at the heart of this song asks a few questions to keep those in authority nice and uncomfortable.
Between The Mirror And The Graveyard took us deep into the drug years and the never ending chase for the next thrill, no matter what damage it might do.
All Kinds Of Fine is as romantic as Michael gets a gorgeous song dedicated to the one he loves, with all her redemptive powers. Dark Country Moment wrung all sorts of emotion out of his guitar and the pained lyrics told that sorry tale.
After a little joking Michael then sat back down at the piano to implore everyone Don't Put Yourself Beyond The Reach Of Love a message I hope no one present failed to heed. Trembling Still found that some shaky piano could help you to find salvation while chasing catholic girls all over town through the redemptive power of music. We then got a very slow pained version of Hank Williams I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry that wrung every bit of emotion it could out of this classic.
Michael finished his set back in his comfort zone playing his 6-string guitar on Tiny Blessings that certainly included being able to go and see great gigs like this one.
After the short break it was time for Chris Cacavas to join the long list of musicians I first saw in the 1980's who I've seen again this August, not far from some of those 80's triumphs at Dingwalls and The Electric ballroom.
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Chris is once again sporting a beard, but these days it's silver rather than black, as he opened with Truth that asks how big is Truth as he strummed his guitar. He then told us about going to see Chuck Prophet playing in Italy at a gig where Chuck had some serious lighting issues, as Chris made sure he had enough light to be able to see his fretboard, as the last thing he wanted to do was sing Whose Your Whore in the dark for some reason.
As Chris welcomed the late arrivals he asked them to Tell Me Everything while they were only interested in getting to the bar, this was dark strained and had some good twists in places. It was then time to Disappear slowly becoming more anonymous with every line of the song, not that Chris could ever fade into the background.
Chris then switched to the piano and effects and began by demonstrating that the keyboards he was borrowing had some great cheese settings, as he went into EZ Living that has some cool flourishes as Chris messed about with the settings.
Walk On Water featured some Harmonica that needed to come back when it was perfect unlike the piano that just drove things long nicely.
The as if by magic Chromo Valdez took over twiddling the knobs under Chris' Organ like the Kraut rock god the Karlsruhe Kid, by way of an intro to California Into the Ocean that was a long acid fried version devoid of tropical storms, hurricanes or earthquakes.
Flamethrower was reasonably straight to the heart of what is being destroyed. Once The King made clear that your wrong this time, as Chris switched settings liberally to accent different parts of the song. Then like normal at Chris solo gigs we got a monster take on Pale Blonde Hell with the chorus almost being spat at us as the anger still boils beneath the surface.
Chris closed with Sucker that had some serious interventions from Chromo Valdez, knob twiddler extraordinaire, to leave us wanting to see Chris again a lot more quickly than the 5 years since his last UK Tour.
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