BONUS POST : EDWYN COLLINS @ BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

WITH THANKS TO MARK LEE, WHOSE PHOTO ABOVE I’VE ‘BORROWED’ FROM FACEBOOK

The newly arrived Sunday series has taken its name from the tour currently being undertaken by Edwyn Collins, his likely last lap before a well-deserved retirement.

The tour arrived in Glasgow one week yesterday, Saturday 28 September.  I had a ticket, but for reasons that I won’t bore you with, I didn’t go along, and thus missed out on the partial reunion of Orange Juice Mk1, as James Kirk and Steven Daly played with the band on the final two songs of the encore.  The only reason David McClymont couldn’t make it is all down to him now living and working in Australia.

While it was a sore one to take, I was more than consoled by the fact that two days later, Monday 30 September, I’d be seeing Edwyn and his band at Buxton Opera House, having secured just about the best seats possible (three rows from the front and in the centre), and there was the bonus of Rachel coming along with me as we made it an overnight stay in the Derbyshire market town.  It also ticked off another from the bucket list, as the Opera House had long been on the list of places I’d wanted to see a gig.

This is a bonus post, so I won’t make it too lengthy.  Buxton itself was a lovely place to visit, particularly the gardens and pavilions area on a pleasantly sunny autumnal afternoon.  There should have been plenty of options for food and drink, but it seems to be a town where many of the restaurants are closed on Mondays, and just as we were beginning to panic as we hadn’t booked anywhere in advance, the good folk at Lubens, a small and independently owned bar not far from the Opera House came to the rescue with the offer of the last free table they had at 5pm.  The establishment is named after its 30-something owners – Lucy and Ben – and proved to be the perfect way to get the evening underway.  If any member of the TVV community ever happens to be in Buxton, you’re guaranteed great food, great drink and a ridiculously warm welcome at Lubens.

The 900-capacity Opera House itself more than lived up to expectations.  Built in 1903, it may have undergone a number of refurbishments since 1979 but it retains all of its original class and charm  – I think the word ‘delightful’ was invented just to describe the exterior and interior of the building.

The gig is one that will stay with me for a very long time. In many ways, it was simply a continuation of the sort of shows Edwyn has been putting on sporadically since returning from the debilitating stroke of 2005, with four of the five band members having both played and recorded with him for many years.  The difference this time, for me certainly, was knowing this was going to be the last time I get to see the great man on stage, allied to the fact that it proved to be a setlist of dreams.

Being up so close to offered us a view of just how hard Edwyn has to work each night he takes to the stage. It remains something of a miracle that he is able to sing his songs fairly fluently when his speech is severely restricted. It has always been noticeable how occasionally, but briefly, he gets lost on stage, struggling perhaps with memory, and he gets flustered with his inability to articulate himself in the way he wants to.  There will never be a perfect Edwyn Collins show nowadays – he admits there are notes he can longer reach and there are times when he will, in his own words, fuck up the lyrics, but the sheer bravery and determination on display will always more than compensate.  I can’t have been the only one with tears in my eyes as he ended the show, as he often does, by standing up to lean on his cane during the final two numbers, only to find myself welling up again when he used his one working hand to pick up and play the harmonica during a song in the encore.

Twenty-two songs all told, of which twelve dated back to the Orange Juice era.  Three of the four Postcard singles were aired.  He also leaned heavily on his most successful solo album, Gorgeous George, with five of its tracks being performed.   There was a duet with his son Will – and again being so close to the stage meant we could see just how much love and affection was on dad’s face as he watched his son give everything to his performance. It was a perfectly paced and perfectly judged set, one which reminded everyone just how many great songs Edwyn has written over the years.

But don’t just take my word for it.

Rachel has never really been a big fan of Orange Juice or the solo career, but she came along to the show knowing how much it was going to mean to me, as well as liking the idea of visiting Buxton as she had read it was a lovely town and the train journey went through nice scenery.  She grabbed my hand as we left the Opera House and said, ‘that was very special.’

It sure was.

mp3: Edwyn Collins – Make Me Feel Again

 

JC

Quick and belated PS.  Khayem over at Dubhed has written up a more detailed review of Edwyn’s show in Bath that took place the night after Buxton.  As you’d expect, it’s an excellent read.  Click here.