Starstruck in the Presence of Lee Kerslake: Jason Isbell

Tuesday, 23 August 2016

Jason Isbell

The Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh

21st August 2016

This was the first of Jason’s two sold-out Edinburgh gigs, with which he was closing his short European Tour. 700 bodies The Liquid Rooms (officially) holds and, whilst I am not suggesting for one second that the venue management had squeezed a few more in this evening, l would suggest that those 700 must have been a pretty well-nourished bunch, as space (and, indeed, oxygen it felt at times) was of a premium. There was one bod near to me who simply keeled over and had to be carried away by a couple of medics. Heat exhaustion and nothing more sinister I hoped.

Palmetto Rose and 24 Frames opened the show this evening, both appearing oddly turgid affairs; each slowed down slightly but noticeably. But once the band got into their groove with Stockholm and the Stones-influenced Go It Alone they never left it.

Travelling Alone and Codeine were both superb, with the throng singing along to each word-perfect. And Jason’s work with his co-guitarist - the marvelously named Sadler Vaden (I wish I was called Sadler Vaden) – on his Drive-By Truckers’ covers Decoration Day and Never Gonna Change, ensured even the most geetar-blowout hungry attendees went away more than happy.

“He is the bastard offspring of Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen” asserted a chap in front of us as we filed out. But there is far more (and, thankfully, simultaneously far less) to Jason than that simplified summation would suggest.

Setlist

Palmetto Rose

24 Frames

Something More Than Free

Stockholm

Go It Alone

How To Forget

Travelling Alone

Codeine

Alabama Pines

Decoration Day

Speed Trap Town