Richard Thompson (support by Jim Moray)
Victoria Hall
Hanley,
Stoke-on-Trent
1st June 2024
Between 1977 (my first ever gig – The Stranglers) and the mid 90’s when I saw the likes of Morrissey here, the Victoria Hall in Hanley, in the city centre of Stoke-on-Trent, has been my local venue.
It’s in walking distance from my front door!
Since its major renovation in 1998, it’s been a place that I haven’t purposely avoided but haven’t visited – it just seemed to lose out on the touring circuit, being placed between Manchester and the West Midlands’ venues in Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
Nowadays it’s part of the ATG group and as such it survives on a diet of revivals, musicals and MOR. So, it was pleasing therefore to see that they’d booked the Richard Thompson “Ship to Shore” tour, although I had my doubts about how well it’d sell in a city particularly badly hit by austerity and urban decay.
First impressions of the venue were mixed – it’s been comfortably made over with glass and steel added onto its Victorian core – but what it’s gained in looks, it’s lost somewhat in earthy character.
The venue has always been notorious for its acoustics, being a favourite with the likes of Eric Clapton – but has always proved a challenge with its vicious slap-back if the volume is notched up too high.
At the rear of the stage (now covered with a vast sound-dampening backcloth) was a massive steampunk organ that in the past watched over the likes of every major punk band apart from the Sex Pistols (although John Lydon did a Q&A here a couple of weeks ago. Better late than never).
This huge theatrical void was first filled by support Jim Moray, opening with the technical marvel that is “Lemady” a looped and sampled choral wonder from a single voice, his very traditional set was aided by clever use of modern technology and made the most of the natural reverb in the venue.
Highlights to these ears were his takes on the Child ballad “Lord Douglas” and “Sweet Jenny of the Moor” which featured some fine Nic Jones type picking and vocal samples too.
The folkie Ed Sheeran I hear you say?
It was just a pity that the audience were well…comatose…not that Jim wasn’t well received – there was enthusiastic applause at the end of every song and plenty of glowing comments from those around me – but the vast empty void of a high ceiling and extraordinarily wide stage acted as intimidatory factors in encouraging more ad hoc audience responses – it felt like being in high school assembly.
By the time that Richard Thompson took the stage, folks had had more time in the bar and latecomers had swelled the ranks, so after a rapturous reception upon arrival, there were a few braver souls who were able to create interaction and a better sense of audience intimacy.
RT himself dished out the dry humour between songs and it helped to close the distances between audience and band.
Musically things took off for me three songs in, with “Turning of the Tide” which Thompson admitted had been arranged based on Bob Mould’s take on the song – now a fiery power-pop reading.
“Freeze” off the new album worked well as a band number and “Al Bowlly’s in Heaven‘s” sparse, jazzy take suited the cavernous room.
Thompson classics like “Beeswing” (done acoustically) went down particularly well, although some of the newer tracks e.g. “The Day That I Give In” weren’t as embedded in the audience’s psyche – as the album had only been released the day before, so it was perhaps not surprising.
Instrumentally, grandson Zak Hobbs – a talented performer in his own right – did sterling work on second guitar and showed off that he’s inherited some of his grandfather’s chops on a fabulous “Man in need” – the youngest on the stage by far, he was in no way out shadowed by the elite company he was in.
The main set ended with a celebratory final ice-breaking singalong of “Tear-Stained Letter” – but Thompson came back solo for the first encore, those of us who read setlist.fm were expecting “Dimming of the Day” which had been played on every gig so far.
However, one keen audience member shouted out for “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” – and because it’s such a tricky title, shortened it – Thompson quipped that he’d play it if they got the title right – heckler tried again, got it right and so we got the aforesaid song – a tour first, I believe.
Then it was time to get the Rickenbacker out for “Bells of Rhymney” and a final “Jealous Words”.
And the final result….
Richard Thompson 1, The Cavernous Victoria Halls Hanley 0
Setlist
1. What’s left to lose
2. Take care the road you choose
3. Turning of the Tide
4. Withered and died
5. Freeze
6. Hard on me
7. Al Bowlly’s in Heaven
8. The day that I give in
9. Beeswing
10. The old pack mule
11. Man in need
12. Guns are the tongues
13. Singapore Sadie
14. John the Gun
15. Tear Stained letter
Encores
16. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
17. Bells of Rhymney
18. Jealous Words
Review and photos by Nick Barber
Photos – https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBtcZA
The Rocking Magpie 