Letham Nights #23 was incendiary with all 3 acts setting the place alight with their performances.
Having sold out faster than any previous show, Letham Nights #23 on April 21st promised to be a great night and it didn’t disappoint. After Mike F had completed the in gig safety demonstration and introductions, Xander Duffy came on for the first slot of the night.
This was Xander’s third visit to Letham Nights and his unique style of cover versions and original compositions (often in the same song) was as fresh as ever. He quickly won over the crowd with an impassioned performance and drew loud cheers and foot stamping following his tributes to Amy Winehouse and an impressive Whitney Houston medley. I feel the vocal acrobatics at the end of “I Will Always Love You” might even have been assisted by the lady herself.
One swift stage changeover later and The Boston Tea Party took the stage. Drawing from the rich seam of late ‘60’s blues-rock, these guys unleashed a string of classic songs by artists such as Muddy Waters, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, The Allman Brothers and Bob Dylan. Into this they also mixed their own excellent compositions and played throughout with stacks of skill and drive. The crowd loved this set and gave Reuben and the guys a rousing welcome to Letham Nights. They will be invited back!
Another quick change and Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward & Fisher (AMWWF) squeezed themselves and a huge array of instruments onto the stage. Having had some stunning reviews from recent gigs and lots of local and national exposure on local radio and press (not to mention the now classic session on Tenement TV), their reputation preceded them and we knew we would not be disappointed. From the opening chord to the final encore it was a great performance with a huge dynamic range of whispering ballads to thundering climaxes sometimes in the same song. Talent and charisma ooze from every one of these guys and the performance was a great showcase for their songs, playing and stage presence. Instruments were swapped continuously but unobtrusively between the band, and the lead singing passed from one player to another seamlessly, giving new meaning to the term virtuosity. Songs from the new album like ‘Poor John’, the burlesque ‘Agony’ and the beautiful lullaby ‘Jessica’ were mixed with songs we can only hope will appear on the next album like the rollicking ‘Sally Brown’, ‘Boo Hoo’ and a stunning encore of ‘Hold Still’. The compositions were strong and memorable, played with passion and perfection and left the crowd shouting and stamping for more until the very last minute of the night. It’s just too much talent for one band and what a privilege to have had them play for us
You might just be able to get a ticket for their show at the Reading Rooms in Dundee on 5th May. If not you will catch them at one of the many Festivals over the summer, notably the Big Tent at Falkland. A grateful Big Tent promoter happened to be at this Letham Nights and lost no time in booking them after the show!
