Kris Drever, Pleasance

There will be little point in reading this review if you're hoping for any hint of objectivity.  Having watched the man for more than a decade, if I were pressed to name my musical hero then Mr D's name would be the first out of my mouth.  And tonight did nothing to alter that.

Opening the gig was West Midlands singer/songwriter Dan Whitehouse and he proved to be a perfect warm up act.  He's talented, funny and his songs are interesting both lyrically and melodically.  Soft voiced vocals and some excellent guitar work, plenty of audience interaction including a bit of singalong, this was an enjoyable set and I'd like to see more of Whitehouse in the future.

Drever has put together a superb band for this tour, with three musicians who played on his recent album, If Wishes Were Horses.  On double and electric bass there's Euan Burton, and on the drums Louis Abbott, better known as the front man of Scottish indie band Admiral Fallow - a pretty decent pedigree for a backing singer!  Kris is recognised as one of the UK's finest guitarists, but the man completing the line up is his equal, Ian Carr having an impressive body of work behind him.

While the emphasis was naturally on his latest release, Drever sprinkled the set with tracks from his previous solo albums, with the odd surprise thrown in.  It's a reminder of not just how he's developed as a songwriter, but what excellent taste he has in choosing both traditional and contemporary material to interpret.  His latest collection includes some very personal lyrics, like the break up song When We Roll In The Morning, and more political themes like his commentary on our culture of greed in Don't Tell me That.

Of course there were disappointments.  The ninety minutes felt more like forty and there was no room in the set for Five Past two, a song that feels as if it echoes my own life.  Nor Poor Mans' Son, nor Wild Hurricane, nor....  You get the picture.  Another hour would have been nice!

If you get the opportunity to see Kris Drever live grab it immediately.  You won't be disappointed.