This was a hot gig, and not just because no one knew how to turn the radiators off.
Wearing his trademark hat and glasses, 73-year-old Michael Chapman took to the small stage at West Hill Hall with nothing to prove to anyone.
The partisan audience, many of whom had travelled quite a distance to be there, already knew him to be one of this country’s acoustic guitar innovators. His career started way back in 1967 and Chapman has worked constantly since then, with more than 30 albums to his name.
The man always delivers and Saturday night was no exception.
He started with The Twisted Road and there was that distinctive jazzy, bluesy, folky mix – and let’s not forget ragtime – that makes his playing so unique. “Wrecked again out on the highway”: his melancholic vocals were bleak, they always have been.
Despite the easy banter, Chapman’s performance was intense throughout. No theatrics, effects pedals or looping, just ferocious finger-picking and great licks that pulled you along.
The vibe was warm, the radiators steaming, and Chapman was totally cool.
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