A review of Albert Lee & Hogan’s Heroes at Ironworks,Inverness on Saturday the 27th of April, 2013.
Albert Lee is by common consent one of the world’s finest guitar-players and needs no introduction to country music and rock fans. For some time now he has been the go to guy for those finger-picking licks and smooth breaks that feature heavily at the core of the best of this particular country rock oriented catalogue. It’s probably easier to list who he hasn’t worked with and tonight his set name-checked most of the folks he has collaborated with – and that kept this Ironworks audience in Inverness on their collective toes from first to last.
And that’s just Albert. Add to his own address-book those of his ‘backing band’, Hogans Heroes, and you’re going to need a bigger chip in your smart-phone. Tonight though we just have the Heroes – Peter Baron on drums and backing (with the occasional lead) vocals; Brian Hodgson on bass and vocals with Gavin Povey on keyboards (and of course vocals). Hogan has taken the night off for some reason and while his pedal steel and keyboards are missing I’m not sure too many noticed as the sound engineers have managed to pitch the volume and balance to perfection. The sound is full but not too loud and the intricacies of the music are well catered for.
The Ironworks has opted for its ‘cabaret’ set-up this evening with those largish round tables and seating – and I’m bound to say I’m not a fan of this. But then we are talking about a performer in his seventies and while most of the generations are represented in the audience, perhaps it is the 50’s and 60’s which feature most. There was a palpable buzz of anticipation in the hall and the opener ‘Time Of Your Life’ is roundly applauded with a few early evening whoops and hollers thrown in. The pace slows a bit for Buddy Holly’s ‘Take Your Time’ at number five before Gavin Povey takes the lead on ‘Did I Tell You’. Now slowly but surely the toe tapping has increased and some spontaneous chair dancing has broken out, but by this song the cabaret setting is a method of crowd control because I’m pretty certain that there’d be some line-dancing going on – there were certainly a couple of folks dancing in the dark at the back of the hall.
The unmistakable sound of Don and Phil Everly puts in an appearance at 7 & 8 with ‘Brand New Heart’ and ‘No One Can Make My Sunshine Smile’. The ‘educational’ feel of the night peaks with ‘Real Wild Child’ – recorded by Albert in 1981, made more popular by Iggy Pop in 1985 who thought it was a Lee original: the song was in fact first recorded by Australian rocker Johnny O’Keefe in 1958. Song number 13 brings this half to a close with an Emmylou Harris number – and sadly my own education is badly lacking as I can’t name it – but I am seeing jazz-hands in the audience.
The second half kicked off in fine style with The Travelling Wilburys’ ‘Handle With Care’ followed by one of the stars of the show, Gram Parson’s ‘Luxury Liner’ (I admit it – I am a fan). The short story here is that the sheer quality and variety doesn’t let up – whether it be their own material and the fabulous blues inspired ‘Wake Up Screaming’ or a song that sounds like Dave Edmunds supported by Los Lobos – it’s all good. Round it off with tracks from Richard Thompson and Ray Charles and the crowd can’t stop smiling.
It’s a fabulous evening and a far cry from the 20 strong crowd who pitched up to see Albert last time he played here (although 40 or so people told me they were among the twenty!). As befits a septuagenarian legend with a bright red Fender strat, the crowd treated every minute like it was precious.
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