 | | Willy Mason (pic: Andy Stubbs) |
No, not your mate’s band’s first gig in a backroom of a pub in 1997. Not the landlord shaking his head at the racket, but rubbing his hands at the bulging proceeds from the evening’s soft-drinks. It's Willy Mason, the Academy 2, sold out. My mind boggles at the fact that a professional musician, blessed with an astounding voice, natural ear for a soaring melody and a humble handsomeness to boot, does not possess a spare guitar. When guitar is the sole melodic instrument on stage, this can pose a problem. Mason is on an incredibly popular tour of the UK, has a major recording contract, yet he does not have a second guitar to hand. He constantly down-tunes and re-tunes (by ear) between each song, leaving me wondering if strings snap every night.
 | | Willy Mason (pic: Andy Stubbs) |
Leaving this sticking point aside, the quality of Mason’s voice cannot be ignored. Like a sentiment-soaked syringe, it stabs you in the heart with every dulcet curve, its intimate immediacy dealing an even more powerful blow live. Mason certainly pleased the crowd for most of the set, reeling off the majority of current album Where The Humans Eat, but seemed to play for too long, struggling for an alternate repertoire. In fact, he seemed so uncomfortable with the size of the stage and crowd (the gig had been upgraded to one three times the capacity of the original), I couldn’t help but feel slightly sorry for him. Maybe he was so nervous and jetlagged that he forgot to bring his other guitar. Bless. |
