LUCINDA WILLIAMS (+ Teddy Thompson opening show)
Wednesday 8th November 2006
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, UK

TITLE: "Joy in Birmingham"
The day after the 2006 US midterm election. Republicans trounced, Carl Rove had just resigned - so Lu is on a high. Set 1 becomes a bluesy joyous trawl - Set 2 more "black" and reflective. Includes 4 new songs from forthcoming 2007 CD "West" (including title track). Really liked "What If" and "West". Towards the end of European tour - although she'd "not seen daylight" for a while - at least a little less hectic than a "town a night". Some nifty guitar from Doug Pettibone too.

QUALITY:
Master Audience recording from the gods (level 5) and slightly to left - but the Symphony Hall has great acoustics so every sound is well heard. Teddy Thompson recorded from crowd (some coughs etc)- Lu with a lot more space. Some coughs & rustles - but not much chatting - pretty good overall. I've edited out the worst "silent spaces" whilst she discussed with band and "page-turner" what song to play next ... and had a drink away from mic. She should really sort this out if only to keep up the energy & orgasmic presence ("the momentous ... cataclysmic .. level")!. Great show nevertheless. She lost track of time towards end of set.1 - so it was more of a second set than an encore.

LINEAGE:
Recorded using MM-MCSM-4 mini cardiod stereo mics w Batterybox > Edirol R-09 > SD card > wav (16bit/ 44.1kHz) > Wavelab (to trim ends and take out some of the "empty spaces" between songs (no talking or music) whilst she sorted out what she was going to play) > CD Wave Editor (Track Breaks) > tlh > flac (level 5) > Dime

Basic covers included

TEDDY THOMPSON OPENING SET [38:26]
(can be burned separated or to 2nd cd - alt covers included)

01 [3:40] I Should Get Up (Separate Ways 2006)
02 [3:30] ?? (its Getting Harder & Harder to live with myself)
03 [3:58] Think Again (Separate Ways 2006)
04 [3:27] Everybody Move It (Separate Ways 2006)
05 [5:56] Separate Ways (Separate Ways 2006)
06 [4:53] Turning The Gun On Myself (Blunderbuss ep 2004)
07 [3:28] All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers (George Jones song)
08 [2:43] That's Enough Out Of You (Separate Wayys 2006)
09 [3:01] I Wish It Was Over (Separate Ways 2006)
10 [3:46] Sorry To See Me Go (Separate Ways 2006)
=======================================================

LUCINDA WILLIAMS

SET 1: [81:20]

101 Ventura (World Without Tears)
102 Fruits Of My Labour (World Without Tears)
103 Pineola (Sweet Old World)
104 Drunken Angel (Car Wheels)
105 intro to Lake Charles
106 Lake Charles (Car Wheels)
107 Crescent City (Lucinda Williams) (ref to New Orleans)
108 Right In Time (Car Wheels)
109 intro to What If
110 What If (new)
111 thanks
112 Where Is My Love (new)
113 Righteously (World Without Tears)
114 intro to Disgusted
115 Disgusted (Lucinda Williams)
116 Joy (Car Wheels)
117 Can't Let Go (Car Wheels)
118 Real Live Bleeding Fingers And Broken Guitar Strings (World Without Tears)

SET 2: [41:08]

201 Passionate Kisses (solo) (Lucinda Williams)
202 Those Thee Days (World Without Tears)
203 Bus To Baton Rouge (Essence)
204 intro
205 Over Time (World Without Tears)
206 intro
207 Fancy Funeral (new)
208 Sweet Old World (Sweet Old World)
209 West (new - Album Title)

with band:
Doug Pettibone: Electric guitar, pedal steel, harmony vocals
Paul Bryan: Bass guitar, harmony vocals
Don Heffington: Drums





REVIEW OF BIRMINGHAM SHOW FROM WEB SITE: (Exile On Vain Street)
"Another great show, a lot less rockier than the Glasgow show, not surprising given the completely different style of venue. Superb sound again though, as Lucinda commented on several times.
Lots of changes in the set list, Lucinda mentioned that this was the first time on the tour that there was no curfew, lots of debating about what song to play next and fun with her song book roadie. The show started just before 8.50 and was still going at 10.50 when I had to leave to catch the last train back to London at 11.
Anyway here's the set list up to when I left, hope someone else can let me know if I missed any more songs."

REVIEW OF AMSTERDAM SHOW:
I'm curious how others feel about the way she builds up the show. After almost every song she calls the members of the band for what seems to be a board meeting. Are they really discussing what song to play now? Somebody standing next to me thought it rather a clumsy way of presenting yourself to your audience. And than there was this guy who was in charge of the songbook, making sure the right page with the right song was turned for Lucinda. Well, I didn't mind because every song that followed was fantastic.

a last minute, spur of the moment, show .. but glad i caught it. thanks to seeders of the other european shows.

enjoy / primula / Nov 2006