5. John Fullbright - High Road - Perth Concert Hall, Perth Ill never run out of nice things to say about John Fullbright. As a songwriter and performer hes about the most inspiring person Ive met in recent times, so completely unassuming and humble. He has an incredible talent for making you forget youre at a concert surrounded by hundreds of other people and his passion for playing is undeniably endearing. High Road isnt my favourite of Johns songs, either recorded or live, but the performance at Perth was exceptional for other reasons. For context I should say that I booked my ticket for the show quite late because it coincided with the Glasgow Commowealth Games (hockey, specifically). It wasnt Johns show either; he was supporting Rosanne Cash, and tickets were at least £10 more expensive than a normal Glasgow gig. This resulted in my being seated way up the back of the balcony - and arriving late to the venue just as John had already begun his set. It was a good long support set though; John played a few songs before starting into a loose, romantic storyline drawing the last 4 or 5 songs together, ending with High Road. The audience (at least the entire balcony) were there for Rosanne Cash - I know because I was there amongst them. They werent Johns crowd. The two things I love most about hearing this song live are, naturally, hearing a full 7 minute epic, unabridged and beautifully accompanied; and crying in public, obviously. The added delight in Scotland (*spoiler alert*) is hearing that subtle moment when the audience recognises and quietly approves the Loch Lomond refrain at the end of the song. Perth had all these elements and just a touch more. I find myself a bit distracted during this song; its particularly graphic so my mind is inclined to wander to another visual space. When I returned my consciousness to the Concert Hall I was immediately aware that everyone was away in the moment with me. The sniffles and the discrete smudging of mascara all around me was overwhelming. Collectively we sat dumbstruck to the very end of the final note before rapturous applause and a standing ovation burst out of these balcony folk. The rapid-fire reviews followed and I listened for 3 or 4 minutes to the people either side, behind and in front of me who had all just discovered John Fullbright - their new favourite dude. And I had this fuzzy sensation, this secret pride, because I already knew he was amazing and I knew they were gonna love him as much as I do. So. Unforgettable.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 02:01:26 +0000