When Bill Callahan last visited Scotland back in 2009 he comfortably sold out the 300-capacity Stereo. Ever the introvert, the intimate basement setting was perfect for his slowburning, warped Americana. Tonight’s show saw him tackling a swamped venue almost four times the size, with mixed results. Although his droll voice punctured the air like an unwavering arrow, the sparse arrangements and somnolent pace of his songs meant that those of us confined to the back of the venue had to attempt to tune out the self-interested murmurings of those more concerned with prattling on to one another than in paying attention to the performance; Not to mention the distracting glow emanating from the palms of those who balk at the thought of putting their phones in their pockets for an hour and a half.
The set leaned heavily on tracks from ‘Dream River’, his critically heralded record from September of last year, bolstered by a small band of tremendous musicians. During the towering ‘Javelin Unlanding’ it was clear that this is a band at the very pinnacle of their powers, masterfully managing the feat of sounding at once airtight and off-the-cuff. In spite of the idle chatter that threatens to engulf the back of the sweltering venue, gorgeous slide guitar motifs pierce the hubbub like a clarion call, providing a sweet foil to Callahan’s deep baritone. Slyly re-worked Smog classic ‘Dress Sexy at My Funeral’ gets dusted off, to roars of delight from the day-ones in the crowd. The arrangement has been elegantly altered, giving it the same unhurried bent that has been Callahan’s bread and butter since the release of 2009’s ‘Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle’.
It’s a shame, then, that, at least where I was standing, the audience appeared more fascinated by their phones than the stellar music being made onstage. All told, the audience were far more reverential nearer the front of the venue, and certainly poor Bill can’t be blamed for the impudence of the people in my vicinity. My frustration is in no way a reflection of the masterly performance that was given. That said, perhaps opting to perform in a seated venue would have been wiser. That way there’d have been no tolerance for ignorant talkers and the evening could have reached the state of transcendence that it fell just short of.
Photos by Andrew McKenna – click on the gallery for more including of supports Cath & Phil Tyler / The Deep Dark Woods.
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.