Weather Tonight: 9°c Light showers Morning: 14°c Overcast

Critics' Choice

Film

Andrew O'Hagan

quoteNew Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of itquote

Andrew O'Hagan The Twilight Saga: New Moon Theatre

Henry Hitchings

quoteA smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusionquote

Henry Hitchings Cock Restaurants

David Sexton

quoteKitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave quote

David Sexton Kitchen W8

Reader reviews

Film

Adam, Harrow

quoteToo long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effectsquote

2012 Theatre

Rob, London

quoteThis is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flawsquote

The Habit Of Art Music

Bernard, London

quoteAlex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factorquote

Alexandra Burke

Music reviews London,

Richard Thompson

Your rating
one startwo starthree starfour starfive star
Click on a star to rate
Barbican Hall

Evening Standard rating Jane Cornwell's rating
Evening Standard rating Reader rating
 Add your review


 

Richard Thompson rolls out the rock of ages

By Jane Cornwell, Evening Standard  16.01.09
 
Richard Thompson

Millenniun man: Folk-rock hero Richard Thompson on a musical journey through time

Look here too

Choosing the best songs of the past millennium is some task. There must be something by Abba. A Cole Porter classic. A Kinks tune, perhaps. But how about Ja Nuls Hom Pris, penned by Richard the Lionheart? Or Henry Purcell’s operatic aria When I Am Laid In Earth? Or even the Renaissance toe-tapper So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo, sung in colloquial Italian? Three minute wonders, all.

“We’re leaving no genre unturned,” said folk-rock hero Richard Thompson, putting down the hurdy gurdy he’d been wielding and strapping on his acoustic guitar.

And off we went on a journey from ballad to madrigal, sea shanty to folk anthem, musical hall to Gilbert and Sullivan. The latter’s When A Man Goes to Woo A Fair Maid proved an ideal vehicle for Thompson’s nuanced baritone. The guitar god’s voice, it turns out, is nearly as remarkable as his finger picking.

Thompson has been doing this show on and off since 2004, but this one — part of a UK tour back at the Barbican on February 3 — still came with a few surprises. A respectful rendition of the ballad False Knight On The Road was better than Steeleye Span’s version, just as Thompson had promised. “We’re shameless up here,” he joked, flanked by musicians and vocalists Deborah Dobkin and Judith Owen, who sang a handful of numbers to varying effect.

Thematic images flashed up on a giant video screen as Thompson turned each composition into music for guitar, keyboards and percussion and made them his own.

The 20th century half of the show featured a subtle, textured cover of Abba’s Money Money Money and a fabulous take on Nelly Furtado’s Maneater that segued hilariously to early church music and verses sung in Latin.

Hooray, rejoiced the video screen at the end.

More


Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 

Reader reviews (1)

 Add your review

Saw RT in Basingstoke this week at The Anvil - superb show - highly recommended

- Sean Adams, Cheriton, Hampshire


Add your comment

 

Your email address will not be published

Terms and conditions make text area bigger You have  characters left.


 
 


 
 
London's Weather
Tonight
Light showers
9°c
Morning
Overcast
14°c
5 day forecast
 
 

Daily Mail Mail on Sunday Travel Mail This is Money Metro

Loot | Jobsite | Homes & property | London jobs | FindaProperty.com | Primelocation.com | Educate London | Holiday Villas