Reviewed by the Legendery DJ Krusher which is featured on Krushers own site and Krushers page in "CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE" online

 

 

Wednesday April 8th 2009

Jimi Hendrix, Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore and Paul Gilbert.

All these names that are synonymous with the guitar. All are players of the finest quality and all are known primarily for their work using electric powered instruments, not that there’s anything wrong or immoral about that.

But in this day and age it’s truly a very rare guitarist/song writer who can deliver the power of rock on an acoustic.

In the past players like Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Bert Jansch were all masters of the acoustic. Sadly, only Kottke and Jansch are still alive and now well into their 60’s and no disrespect to any of these great players but non of them are known for being rock monsters.

But my dear droogies that was all put to rights last Monday night at the Embassy when songwriter and acoustic guitar player extraordinaire Robert Brown took to the stage and delivered a set that was jaw dropping.

He kicked off with one of his own compositions called She Likes To Hurt Me; a song that would sit proudly on any given rock album by any given rock star!

And he didn’t stop there. Next came a song he wrote about Hendrix called Johnny Allen, then a beautiful folk/blues based song called Oh My Head and a song called Ocean Of Stars that would sit comfortably on any Zeppelin album.

And talking of Percy and the boys, he followed with the old ‘Blind’ Willie Johnson song In My Time Of Dying which their interpretation of appeared on Physical Graffiti.

But if you thought that was an old song what came next was positively fooookin’ ancient; telling the story of an event from 1851 where a gang of thirty or forty poachers were attacked by ten gamekeepers, one of whom was mortally wounded during the battle.

Four of the poachers were tried for his murder, found guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced to transportation for fourteen years; an old tale brought up to date beautifully.

Next came another of Robert’s original songs, the epic Falling From A Great Height (check it out at www.myspace.com/robertbrownmusic1) by which time not only was the entire audience totally captivated but the bar staff stood mesmerised and even Greg, the mysterious klub manager, appeared from his inner sanctum to capture what must be said was quite possibly the BEST EVER acoustic solo artist performance that I’ve ever seen!

Robert returned to encore with yet another olde song from the late 1880’s called Lord Franklin. The song is a traditional ballad commemorating the loss of Sir John Franklin's British Arctic Expedition of 1845, and was allegedly written by Jane Griffin (Lady Franklin), Sir John's widow. And that was our lot for the night.

Robert I salute you, thank you and invite you back anytime you want to play. A true lesson in the power of an acoustic guitar, great voice and good folk/blues/rockin’ songs!!!

So it’s back to the Club Tent for me for the final music of the evening, and I hit it lucky for the second time today with another highlight, The Smouldering Sons. They come on like a folky White Stripes, with a percussionist bashing away at an impressive array of noisemaker, including a gong, while the guitarist Robert Brown picks & strums furiously while singing powerful and inspiring songs that get your feet moving as well. As with Kerbside earlier, their move to bigger and better things should be imminent.

 

As I stagger out of the tent, it comes to me that this was one of the best Cambridges ever and I’ve been to 20 now. In particular Rodney Crowell, Mary Gauthier, Kerbside, Smouldering Sons and The Low Country were the peaks, but Jimmy Webb, the Blind Boys and many others all gave of their best, and what bests they were. Roll on next year.

 

Report by Jeremy Searle