John Butler (Diesel Park West)
Thursday 5th September
£6adv
Thursday 5th September
£6adv
1989 the year the Berlin Wall came down the beginning
of dance culture entering mainstream pop culture and the year of the last great
NME invention taking hold in the imagination of youth with a rather baggy Stone
Roses led cult. What may not be so easily recalled was the release in January
of that year of a hugely influential album by Diesel Park West; Shakespeare
Alabama. This album swam against prevailing tides of the day with songs of such
quality it seemed to many a major new force for good had arrived. John Butler's
songwriting demonstrated quite clearly with this debut that here was someone
able to craft songs of such quality comparisons to Ray Davies, Marriot-Lane,
Townsend even Young and Zimmerman were clearly applicable.
Alas critical acclaim does not in itself translate
into major success and despite selling well, Shakespeare Alabama was denied its
due place in the upper reaches of rock n roll. The band however continues to
this day and are now eight albums into a “career” that may actually turn out to
be all the more creatively substantial for having not sold millions upon
millions of records. With the shackles of commercial upkeep off, Butler has
written his way into the bigger picture more than ever via tunes like Faithless
Life, Bloody As Fur, A House Divided, Leave Me With The Sinners and the sublime
latter day radio favourite There's A Grace spread out over the last twenty
something years.
With the songs and the voice to sing them John's solo
acoustic gigs demonstrate all the inherent musical qualities at their heart
delivered with an engaging wit and insight only someone with intimate
knowledge of the real music business could possibly know. Performances wrapped
up in a humorous and insightful delivery, not afraid to enter the dark zone
whilst offering consummate skill in doing so. A John Butler night is well worth
checking out!
Remember;
always check with the venue before travelling, or grab a ticket direct from the
site: www.themusicianpub.co.uk
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