Starstruck in the Presence of Lee Kerslake: Martin Barre

Saturday, 30 November 2024

Martin Barre

27th November 2024

Backstage at The Green Hotel, Kinross

Now a sprightly 78-years young, 2024 finds Martin Barre still out and about doing his stuff. Along for the ride, this time around, along with his band is singer/songwriter Alex Hart.

She played a short support set, with Martin on guitar before the "noisy stuff" - her words - started. Her first few songs were originals, she closing her set with fine renditions of Wond'ring Aloud and Life is a Long Song. Alex occasionally dropped into the side of the stage during the main set, to add backing vocals to a few songs, but appeared rather self-consciously out of place doing so.

Martin's band is still fronted by vocalist/guitarist Dan Crisp, who makes a reasonable fist of most of Ian Anderson's vocal parts, with a rhythm section of bassist Alan Thomson and drummer Terl Bryant - whose names Martin managed to mix up when introducing them.

The set list, as may be expected, was dominated by Jethro Tull tunes - counting the one from Alex Hart's set, we were treated to a total of seven from the Aqualung album alone.

But there were also a few chosen from Martin's solo albums; songs such as Back to Steel, Lone Wolf and Moment of Madness, all of which I enjoyed.

Rather less fun were his two Beatles covers. We got turgid renditions of Eleanor Rigby (one of The Beatles' best tunes) and I Want You (one of their worst). A wee voice inside my head was pleading for Day Tripper - I really would love to hear Martin riffing on that.

I had seen Martin on a couple of occasions before, but he had never (to my recollection) picked up a flute to tootle a bit. Which he did here this evening, to general amusement of the assembled folks. He then proceeded to give a stirring rendition of Serenade to a Cuckoo from the first Tull album. I do not know how many of the audience knew Martin had been playing flute in the Roland Kirk style long before he joined JT in late 1968.

My only real gripe with the show is Martin's tendency to rearrange guitar solos when playing live - perhaps even improvising each time he plays them. The solo on Aqualung in particular seems a mess, each time I have heard him play it solo or with Tull.

It really is such an iconic piece of work, it deserves to be played note for note as per the album recording. I feel so, anyway.