Hi All. Sunny Sunday morning here in Brandon and getting ready to head home. Got up early to do a little review as will be too busy with work when i get home. I will, however, try to get my full length Nemesis video (which has an amusing little DG momentbefore it) onto youtube together with the Little Chef clip you will see mentioned later 
Hi All
Sunday Morning in Brandon and been a wet night. Great weekend here. Excellent start to the Lumberjack mini-tour DG and the band in top form, meeting some old friends and new ones and a great a great day out on Saturday. Went to see the RNLI Lifeboat station at Cromer we had seen on a TV documentary and a lovely coffee on the pier. Then along the North coast to Wells Next the Sea ( not miss-spelt) which was recommended by our Hotel Owner and finished with fish and chips and drinks on a boat.
Got to a well organised venue and was in the queue while John Smith was warming up – errrr sound checking I mean! Sounded good. Chatting with the friendly security staff – always good to have pleasant security to have some jokes with. Plenty people getting there early. There were plenty of chairs and picnic boxes ready to make the evening a good one for some. Told the gig was a sellout with either 4500 or 5000 people there depending on who said it. Order of play pinned to the fence. He has 2 support – Daniel Jean Renaud will start with a 15 minute set – then John Smith for 30 minutes with DG on at 9pm and finishing at 10:30. Then someone called Curfew were due on at 11pm but they packed up after DG so didn’t see them!!
Then in and a speed walk to the front and on the barrier. Lovely sunny eve – sun shining and waiting for DG and boys to get on. Catching up with friends not seen since last gig 15 months ago not far away in Cambridge. Young girl was excited as it was her birthday and she not seen DG live before and had just won some tickets on a local radio station that week for the gig. She was quite happy with her birthday night out We notice a different layout to the stage with the back of the piano facing the crowd!! But the drums and James’ station are there so a full band set is going to on show.
So onto the music! Did I say music? Well it was a slightly different act with Daniel Jean coming on with a well worn guitar, 60’s leather studded jacket and more swept black hair than I ever had [L] and looking even older than me – but that may have been due to his rock star lifestyle which he was continuing as it seems the warm up drinks were unlimited for him before he got on. He went into some well known songs and some new ones he had written for his new album which was out soon –keep your eyes open for that!! He did keep the crowd amused which was not his intention I expect but got warm applause throughout his performance of 30 minutes and at the end. DG ‘s head popped up from a screen for a while while he had a peep to check on the competition !!
Then a quick set change for John Smith to come on at 8pm. Straight into a song about chopping people up and eating them or feeding them to animals!! Good song for a Johnny Cash style film offer there I think! Then went into his songs with excellent guitar playing with some amusing little chats between. Had a very good response from the crowd after all his songs. Got some crowd participation going as well but not sure how many. Not as easy to hear the crowd in an outdoor venue. Some of them seemed to be quite a bit longer than ‘usual’. Finishing with a nice song called Get Out which will be on his new album out soon. He had been over in USA recording it. Sat on a chair for this one with the guitar on his knee which made a nice sound to his song. A very good 30 mins listen as shown by the crown with calls of more more and will be watching for new album. Oh and in case you wondered why his web site is johnsmithjohnsmith – it appears it is not because he is so good like New York but because the name wasn’t available as just johnsmith!!
Checked the running order to see who is on next! Someone called david gray so looking forward to this one as heard he is quite good!
Excitement building up as it got nearer to 9pm. Roadies keep popping on just tweeking the guitars then they all stand back. You can feel the anticipation building in the arena then bang on 9pm DG comes on the stage with his full band Rob Neill Keith and James to thunderous applause and cheers that even the open air venue can not dull down. I win our little groups competition for Guess the First Song as they storm into the lively World to Me! They have been off the road for 15 months but all the magic is there in abundance as DG’s voice resounds at full volume and all the band are smiling and laughing so you can see they are well rested and ready to give us all what we are waiting for . The crowd raise the roof at the end – well they would have!! As Dave finished the song and looks around to see a sea of smiling faces and raised hands clapping and people cheering.
What a start! Then he goes into some well known favourites as the crowd sing along to Sail Away and Be Mine. Be Mine was spoiled a bit as some ignorant alcohol smelling female barges Rena out of the way and then starts taking pics with the not allowed pro type of camera without an excuse me. After a minute I ask her if she is staying there as she is being rude and she says yes so I push her out of the way. She then barges in at the other side between Darren and me eventually being told to stop taking pics by the security and deciding she was going away. Spoilt Be Mine as missed most of it – This is one of my favs too!
Then he disappears behind his piano [L] I mentioned earlier about the new piano location. It must have been so DG can see the crowd better but he looked a little strange with having to keep lifting his head to look over the piano. I am tall but did not see his mouth much just the top of his head and weird to see just his eyes peeping over the top. Also missed seeing his hands actually playing and his trademark leg bouncing away to the beat. He did enjoy some of the songs from there as will be seen later and also seeing his arms going in the air from behind was amusing but Dave – PLEASE TURN THE PIANO ROUND for Westonbirt!! Jokes over We want to see you not a Punch and Judy impersonation!!
So now he is at the piano and goes into Destroyer which if firmly becoming one of my favs. This is followed by The Other Side. Full bodied and passionate as usual but can only tell from the top of Dave’s head bobbling!!
Back to the guitar now and the lighting starting to take effect as it is getting darker now. Goes into Everytime with his pause. At the end of this Dave’s deals with some shouting and shows he still has his great sense of humour by commenting on the accent. I recognise the accent he says. Then comments on the fighting which is probably still going on in the woods – Suffolk f off – Norfolk f off with the appropriate gestures lol The crowd laugh and cheer – These are the moments that make every gig a different experience! Then it is into the one I Love.
Now for a real treat. Dave mentions a new album and we are going to be the first to hear this song called Nemesis. WOWSER what a song. Not heard all the songs on the new album yet as don’t know the set list but can not see anything beating this. The words - the tune - the mood - the passion from DG outstanding. It went on for over 8 minutes with the improvisation making me think of Nightblindness immediately. I have timed some versions of NB to over 13 minutes and I can see this developing into another marathon. No cheering from the crowd as listen with respect to one of what will be Dave’s greatest. Brilliant Dave thanks how do you come up with such outstanding songs time and time again – you are a master Thank you!! What a privilege to be in that first crowd. They show their appreciation.
Then we get more new album previews as he goes into Fugitive. He introduces the title track and now it is Draw the Line. Twitcher Dave then goes into Jackdaw which has been heard on one of the last tours.
I got Neill’s set list courtesy of Sarah so a hug and a kiss to you – I do not have many 
This showed a song called First Chance in brackets which obviously was provisional so a little clue of something else on the album but DG did not feel in the mood for this one tonight – something to look forward to at Westonbirt??? Please
Dave and the boys keep up their energetic performance with This Years Love. This is another special time as at the end Dave goes into some new local interest lyrics on how he misses the Little Chef scampi and peas at the local one on the A11 which has closed. Ha ha this is great as the crowd are singing along too. "You are getting bored now" he says so he finished. Another great unique moment for us.
A little delay again as technical problems have not all gone yet. Dave plays the first couple of notes and the crowd cheer as they recognise one of a DG crowd’s favourite singalong songs and starts to sing – Friday night I’m going nowhere – yes Babylon is still there and played as enthusiastically as ever – and the crowd joins in with pointing and clapping and singing – still a great crowd pleaser!
Dave says thank you and Goodbye!! But we know different!
Cheers of More! More! resound as we have to wait for a minute then cheers and clapping as they return.
We get a surprise as Dave says excuse me but I have not played this for a while! We only have a second to guess as he goes into the only cover of the night and Say Hello Wave Goodbye is performed. I do not think I have heard this one live before. Great performance.
To the piano and is it my fav?
No it isn’t but can’t be too disappointed as he performs the great Slow Motion. Thank you he says at the end – but not Goodbye so there is more and………….
Does DG still like this one??
YES he does as Please Forgive Me gets the big cheer from the crowd. The performance is as lively and long as ever – with the lighting flashing to full effect he bounces around, behind the piano!! ,the band are using up the calories and the crowd cause a minor earthquake as they jump up and down. The leaves on the trees in the forest almost blown away as Dave stands to signal the end of a wonderful brilliant masterful performance!
It is a "Thank You Thetford" and a wave from Dave as they leave the stage for the final time at 10:30.
So we have Dave back on the road. Worth waiting for? It surely is. For me and many others this performance is the reason why we think he is the number one singer songwriter. A new album is on it’s way so some songs have to go from the set list. People will be disappointed. I miss some too but the new songs and the anticipation for the ones not yet heard is keeping the interest alive and kicking. Dave’s sense of humour is still there. The band are so great together it is such a joy to listen and see them enjoying themselves up there which is the reason the performances are so outstanding.
THANK YOU Dave. Thank you Rob, Neill, Keith and James.
See you at Westonbirt!! for Lumberjack tour part 2!
Keep smiling - It's free!
Djk
:-)