Ryan Adams live at the Apollo Victoria :: Wessex Scene Online

Ryan Adams live at the Apollo Victoria

19th March 2006
Hannah Dudley

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Adams himself will admit that buying a ticket to see his shows is taking a gamble whether he’ll actually turn up. But third time lucky, he not only showed up but gave me one of those effervescent musical experiences that join but a handful of others. As his tiny figure walked onto the stage at the Apollo, the surge of energy felt by the crowd indicated quite a few had also been waiting a long time for this.

Slamming out the classics, switching from acoustic guitar to piano, Adams played favourites old and new. Most notably, he played ‘My Winding Wheel’, ‘Goodbye Chicago’, the country stomper ‘The End’, ‘Elizabeth’ and some medlies sampling ‘New York, New York’ and ‘Beautiful Sorta’.

Magnolia Mountain saw Adams joined by old friend Neal Casal and The Cardinals’ Brad Pemberton. They then switched to ‘Let It Ride’, swooning from acoustic ballad to country rock throughout the song.

Adams also played a number of new songs, best of which was ‘Lighthouses’, which allowed us a rare glimpse into Adams’ own reality. He introduced the song for his great-grandmother, who died two years ago of a morphine overdose at age 103. Haunting when solo on the piano, Adams also pushed out ‘Why Do They Leave’ and ‘Everything Dies’.

His vocals cracked from blood curdling ‘screams’ to soaring falsettos. He joked, fooled around and despaired at the critics and fans that seem impossible to please. Ultimately, with a back catalogue as immense and impressive as Adams’, he’ll never be able to play everyone’s favourites – but he tries and that was clear. Okay, he didn’t play most of mine and tracks from ‘Love Is Hell’ and ‘29’ were markedly lacking. But he did play ‘SYLVIA PLATH’, ‘Please Do Not Let Me Go’, ‘Cold Roses’, ‘Shakedown’ (on electric guitar) and finished with an incredible ‘Come Pick Me Up’.

He wasn’t disrespectful or arrogant and was only ‘mildly’ drunk. In fact he openly acknowledged his gratitude that people bothered to turn up, given his last two year tour fiascos (fell off stage in Liverpool 2004 so cancelled rest of tour, then got ear cysts 2005, so cancelled the tour). Despite frequently balancing a cigarette between his lips, he was resoundingly beautiful, self-deprecatingly funny and just immensely talented. Adams’ genius, affability and obvious love for music made this an incredible night.