Jul 28 2008
Tom Waits, Glitter and Doom at the Playhouse
Last night I finally got to see Tom Waits, live at the Edinburgh Playhouse. The last time he played Edinburgh I was two years old. At this rate I don’t hold out much chance of seeing him tour near here again! Thankfully it was a good show…
The ticket purchase procedure was pretty horrendous. Only two tickets allowed per person, both of which had to be named and one of them in the name the buyer. So there was no possibility of buying one as a gift, or giving one to a friend if you couldn’t go at the last minute. To get in you needed to show the original purchasing card, the ticket and some photo ID! Probably a prime pocket-picking performance.
The Playhouse is a theatre, not an open-plan gig venue. So we were all seated in little plush red seats. I was to the back and right of the stalls, underneath the low ceiling created by the circle seating above. There were no warm-up or support acts. Tom Waits came on stage 35 minutes after the “8PM start” (does start mean something different to show organisers?) to a pretty deafening applause.
He played a number of things I wasn’t familiar with, but I’ve since found the set list on a fan site so I know what to look for to plug the gaps in my collection. The venue wasn’t really appropriate — sitting in awkward seats with no leg room — but the music was fantastic. I was really impressed by how beautiful and clear the saxophones were.
Highlights for me:
- Innocent When You Dream. A beautiful song that I don’t own. Yet.
- The spoken-word Circus, including a mini-rendition of Table-Top Joe. I love Waits’ spoken pieces. Potter’s Field is unparalleled genius, but this was so good because you could see he wasn’t reciting the words but telling the story.
- Ending the set on Make It Rain. Another of my favourites off that album. It had been hot and muggy all weekend, and was just right for how I felt. When we got outside the streets were slick, and the city was blanketed in mist. Heh!
- …and starting the encore with Goin’ Out West was even better. You’re probably getting tired of me saying how good these songs were, but honest, they were really good! And this song rocks.
The Scotsman gave this show a good review too, with some other details. I know a couple of people who went last night or are going to the second performance tonight. Maybe they can chime in with their thoughts in the comments?
7 Responses to “Tom Waits, Glitter and Doom at the Playhouse”
well, I need to find out more about Tom Waits… a strange absence in my musical journey. Perhaps the Atlanta gig will serve as a starter.
By one of those strange coincidences (well probably not) but last night I listened to a CD I had bought at a gig in March. (Now WHY did it take SO long?? it sat on my bedside table all that time….) The second track is a one-take recording of Innocent When You Dream by Kathryn Williams and Neill MacColl (half brother of Kirsty, son of famous folkies Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger… before my time) I can’t send you a link to that that I know of, but this little taster video contains a nice rendition of another song which is not by Tom Waits so really is beside the point, but whatever…. A very gentle chill album. http://www.williamsmaccoll.com/epk_sml.mov
Glad the gig was good. But sitting down at gigs is not good for getting into the groove; I hate it but that’s the way sometimes
The Scotsman review said that 30 minutes late “as is his custom”…. so you can blame him. But, and I know you are not supposed to start sentences like that….so? But, when it says 8pm what does it mean. Doors open? Start playing? Neither of these? I sometimes phone the venue and ask what time the artist will be on stage, ditto the support. This has saved a number of tedious waits (er no pun there….. hmm)
I have no idea what they meant but the tickets say “8.00PM start”. Well, I was there and nothing started at 8pm!
I can lend you plenty of albums from the different stages in Tom Waits’ musical career, although I do have a strange gap in the middle. Clearly most shops stock the early stuff and the later stuff, but not his transition period!
Also, I forgot to mention above that he got us all to sing along to the chorus of Innocent When You Dream — and I think you can hear the same on the Atlanta recording. Let me know if you feel like you’ve been dumped straight into the deep end, and I’ll get some of his more accessible stuff to you! ;-)
I was there on the second night. I actually ran because I thought I was getting late. I reached there just before 8 and the show didn’t start on time. A little flustered to say the least.
I suppose my main problem is his voice. Maybe he has just smoked too many cigarettes (Have you seen Coffee and Cigarettes? Entertaining in a low key way. TW is one of many non-actors acting in this) I bet he can sing just nice if he wants to. Good songs, so I shall keep trying…..
Little Feat started bang on time, but that in no way compensated for the lack of Lowel George
hmm looks like spam to me!