Seasick Steve

One of the reviews I'm less proud of. I was really struggling for wordcount here. Still, it ought to be posted for the sake of completeness.

Seasick Steve; Hammersmith Apollo; 31/01/09

There is a lot of hype surrounding Seasick Steve. He has a romantic back story, a natural showmanship and gimmicky homemade instruments, all of which have helped him on the long road to success. Tonight’s performance, though, was a useful reminder that he also has the musical credentials to deserve that success. Jools Holland once picked Steve as one of his guitar heroes; it is perhaps the best decision that odd little man ever made.

The first half of the set roars through rocky versions of his Blues, backed by a full drum kit and a second percussionist. Tracks like Dog House Boogie and Hobo Low are belted out with fiery energy and consummate guitar skill.

In the second half, one too many jams cause the performance to meander a little, and some of the previous zip and vim is lost. Intimate tracks like Walking Man fall down slightly in so large a space as the Apollo.

Nonetheless, this was a great gig. Steve plays genuine blues, born of genuine hardship, but more importantly he simply plays great music. The lyrics are deeply personal anecdotes, yet they have a universal appeal. His juicy, growling voice and fantastic guitar playing have the audience enraptured. A bevy of great songs are carried off with showmanship and verve.

Support act Joe Gideon and the Shark combined pretentious performance poetry with some genuinely skilful musicianship. The White Stripes comparisons are inevitable.