No Ordinary Fool

A superficial understanding of contemporary American attitudes would suggest that having a French wife and an abundance of political songs questioning the country’s involvement in places like Iraq and Afghanistan is not likely to make John Vanderslice a terribly popular performer in wide swathes of the USA. Even if this were true, though, one could see how his boyish looks, calm assertiveness, and disarming friendliness might yet win him an encore or two.

Not that John is terribly into such rituals, preferring to carry on playing last night until he hit curfew. Indeed, promoting his new album is apparently not high on his list of priorities either, with only three songs from Romanian Names featuring on the occasionally spontaneous set list, which instead drew eclectically from his prolific output since going solo a decade ago. In a way, this came as a disappointment, as I had really been looking forward to hearing numbers such as Tremble and Tear, Fetal Horses, and D.I.A.L.O. However, with a promise to keep up his annual visits to Ireland, hopefully the chance to hear them will come soon again.

Instead, the focus was mostly on those political songs, including Tablespoon of Codeine, Trance Manual, Heated Pool and Bar, and The Minaret. For the most part, it was a decidedly mellow, laid-back affair, which was, of course, pleasant and quietly appreciable, if also a little one-paced. Indeed, a degree of urgency only got introduced relatively late on with Up Above the Sea. Here, John’s talented keyboardist Ian Bjornstad came into his own with some impressive polyrhythmic playing on a Moog and Wurlitzer respectively. Equally showing off some dexterity, then, was percussionist David Douglas, who also managed to play one-handed on another Moog upon occasion.

For the final few songs, John asked for a space to be cleared in the middle of the reasonable-sized but admittedly seated crowd and the three musicians brought their show down onto the floor. Insisting that everyone gather around them in a full circle, they then played lively versions of the likes of Keep the Dream Alive and Nikki Oh Nikki unplugged on acoustic guitar, snare drum, and concertina respectively – a fitting conclusion to an intimate show.

It is missing at least one song, but here is a reasonable stab at last night’s set list:

* Too Much Time

* Sunken Union Boats

* Tablespoon of Codeine

* Angela

* Trance Manual

* Lucifer Rising

* The Tower

* Heated Pool and Bar

* Oblivion

* Underneath the Leaves

* Up Above the Sea

* The Minaret

* Pale Horse

* Keep the Dream Alive

* Time to Go

* Nikki Oh Nikki