Ethan Jones with support Woodentooth. Thursday 15th May at The Ironworks Inverness. A review.
Woodentooth opened with a simple but effective sweet acoustic set; two men, two guitars and vocals provided by Rory Baldwin. Their performance was easy going and enjoyable. Woodentooth are normally a four piece rock band however having only seen them perform acoustically, I’m in no position to comment on their full-on rock’n’roll persona.
The band played a range of their songs including The Line and Shark. Rory and Pete have been writing songs together for around 15 years and it shows in their performance – relaxed and tight without seeming over-rehearsed. To see all four of the Woodentooth boys playing plugged in, catch them at The Market Bar at the end of the month.
Ethan Johns has made a name for himself as a producer for such acts as Laura Marling, Kings of Leon, Tom Jones, Crowded House, the list goes on and on. In 2012 he won the Brit Award for Best British Producer. On Thursday night, Johns showed The Ironworks audience his impressive talents not as a producer, but as a musician and a performer.
Ethan’s music wanders easily across several genres including – but not contained to – blues, folk, rock and country. Johns was joined by Nick Pini on the double bass which really complimented Johns’ appealing, gravelly voice. Pocket percussion was occasionally provided courtesy of the eager drummer who inhabits Johns’ iPhone.
Johns ditched his acoustic guitar for some tracks, such as Morning Blues, and produced a beautiful wee Airline guitar, the likes of which I have not had the privilege of hearing or seeing before. The set was made up of songs from the album If Not Now Then When, released in 2012 and tracks from his new album which shall be released in a number of weeks titled “The Reckoning”.
“The Reckoning” was completed 7 months ago, giving Ethan Johns enough time to write a new album that will hopefully be with us soon. Ethan’s songwriting veers towards the deep dark sinister truths of life.
One particularly poignant track from album The Roses & The Dead titled The Sun Hardly Rises includes the line ‘The Big 6 profits will rise, and 1000 will die alone in their homes this Christmas’. Bleak but poignant lyrics that most could relate to. Johns’ dry sense of humour, his sincerity and all round talent made this night at the Ironworks a very pleasant one.
