Clonter Opera Theatre 20 Oct 2012
What an incredible venue! Clonter Farm has done what many farms have done over the years, diversify. Many have used their land for caravans and holiday chalets. Clonter have built an opera theatre. A 400 seat venue, fully raked theatre with balcony, bar and lounge area in the heart of the Cheshire countryside. The emphasis being on ‘heart’, this is one venue when Sat Nav really is required.
We were in the centre of the third row, on a level with Ralph. He was a little late starting at 8:05.
But came on stage to applause and went straight into
“Walk into the morning”. A short chat about the generation he remembers who could recall the events of the first world war led into
“England 1914, the Lamplighter”. Ralph told us about Rev Gary Davies, the blind, gun toting, guitar playing Harlem minister –
“Reverend Thunder”. We had an account of Ralph getting stuck at one line of Citizen Kane, and how this has become
“The Girl on the Jersey Ferry” Ralph got all the words right tonight, at New Brighton he missed a few lines.
Without any explanation Ralph moved to the piano - In New Brighton this was Ralph’s own stage, digital piano, but this was Clonter Opera Theatre so he had a grand piano. Ralph went straight into
“England” and explained the song to us afterwards, it’s a love song.
All Ralph’s guitar pieces had been on Miss Gibson, his J45, but now Ralph used his other guitar, it was, he said, a new one and it wasn’t the Gibson he’d had at New Brighton. Into
“Birdman”, I think this might be one of my nominations for the next volume of ‘songs for 6 strings’ – but not this version because he forgot to put his slide on his finger and had to stop to pick it up!
I never realised before that
“The Setting” was played open tuned but that’s how Ralph played it tonight. This led into a folk song, love song with a happy ending – no one dies or drowns or anything, written for Fairport,
“The Girl from the Hiring Fair”,
Before the show I’d had a chat with Eduardo and slipped him a request for Ralph. Ralph moved back to the piano and told us about an elderly couple he’d known when he was younger and how it’s not always necessary for them to speak, you sometimes just know what’s going on in the other’s head when you’ve been together a long time. This led into
“Naomi”. I’ve never made any request before but knowing he was using the piano on this tour I couldn’t resist asking for it.
Back to Miss Gibson and Ralph did something I have never ever see him do on stage in 20 odd years. He had to tune up! Seriously, he used a digital tuner.
He went into
“Now this has started” and into more tuning, he said the guitar shape had changed.
He didn’t try the Glasgow accent when he told us of the occasion he and Billy Connolly heard a young trade unionist say a man without a job is
“A Stranger to the Seasons”Ralph asked us all if we’d ever wanted to sing at the opera house as we were invited to singalong with SOL.
The tuning problems seemed to have settled down so next came
“Gypsy” followed by the only piece from Sofa Noodling,
“Housewives Choice”.
Ralph gave us a brief account of the tragically short life of Robert Johnson and finished with
“The Ghost of Robert Johnson” before going off to hide in the dark for a minute then return for the encore.
“Somewhere Down the Road”. Ralph left the stage at 9:46 pm
Ralph was relaxed throughout and he and the audience seemed really in touch. Maybe at New Brighton, since that was the second date of the tour Ralph was a bit tense, at Clonter he was really at ease. The audience was responsive to the humour and all seemed to enjoy. It was a mixed bunch of all ages, a few teenagers and a good number of under 30s. Quite wish I was going to Derby tonight or London for the end but I’m glad we got to see him at the beginning and middle.
