Blog
Neil Finn at the Jazz Cafe
Written by Andy Patterson
Last night, I headed up to the Jazz Cafe to see Neil Finn play the last of the Q Awards shows…
The awards shows are a yearly event, leading up to the Q Awards. I have been lucky enough to be involved in recording the shoes for a few years running. This year I wasn’t but did manage to get a few tickets to see this intimate gig from the Crowded House frontman.
The place was buzzing with expectation when we got there and a good crowd had assembled around the stage in the Camden venue. He came onstage at 9pm after a good tour of the balcony and down the stairs. Cue rapturous applause.
He made his way through a few songs on a Fender strat with the horns cut off, and then made for the piano. An impromptu version of ‘Rocket Man’ after a shouted request from the crowd (a repeated request that popped up again later on).
Highlights at the piano were his ‘Message to My Girl’ and a tune announced as one of the first he written ‘Tired Eyes’. He moved back to the guitar and invited his son Elroy to the stage to contribute to a few tunes.
Then came Johnny Marr, who’s involvement had been hinted at earlier by a shout of a request for a Smiths cover.
He added guitar and vocals to Distant Sun, before they went into ‘There is a Light that Never goes out’ and then ‘She Will Have Her Way’, with Neil playing an open tuned 12 string, and Johnny adding a chorus of Rocket Man for the benefit of that single member of the crowd.
He finished with ‘Don’t Dream its Over’ after remarkable harmonies from the crowd on ‘Fall at Your Feet’.
Overall a great performance of some of the less-often performed songs of his catalogue. He mentioned he is due to be honoured at the Q awards. A great time had by all I think.
(as also posted on http://www.andypatterson.co.uk)
