February 14, 2025

Willie Watson – Live in Leeds 2025 – “Wow! What a voice!”

Old Woollen, Leeds            26th January 2025

Wow! What a voice! It’s good on record but to hear that it’s actually real, in person is a thrill. A high, lonesome, keening, vibrato sound, a natural American folk voice. There’s no band to hide behind – just Willie, his guitar (and banjo), a harmonica and a microphone. It helps that it’s a civilised audience, sat cabaret-style and attentive in Farsley’s independent venue. And it helps that it’s a cracking set of songs to pick from – drawing from the blues and folk repertoire as well as Willie’s own songs. He opens on a lilting and gorgeous one from the new album, to showcase the voice. There’s plenty off the new album and plenty off the old – like the grimly humorous ‘Gallows Pole’. There’s tradition in songs like ‘Matchbox’ and Blind Lemon Jefferson’s ‘That Black Snake Moan’ but he has to feel it and he cuts a song short, “I wasn’t enjoying it and I didn’t think I was playing it good, so I missed some verses”, he grins, “it’s important to be honest”. Other traditional songs include the romping ‘I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground’, ‘John Henry’ (on the banjo).

That grin is winning and he turns on the charm to tell us stories like his role in the Coen Brothers’ ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’ and his disastrous wrestling career. In doing so, he references the Grateful Dead’s ‘Ripple’, alongside other student faves, showing a breadth of inspiration that goes as far as a song by an “obscure Swedish folk act” – Robyn’s ‘Dancing On My Own’. By the time we reach the lovely minor chords of ‘Real Love’, we are ready to sit all evening, if only we could.

He has the air of a natural and relaxed entertainer, telling us “I love the attention” as he stops for a chat. Between that voice, quality playing and the stories, an hour and a bit flash by, leaving me wishing we’d had more banjo. Now; few people ask for more banjo, not least me, but his claw action combined a thumping rhythm and what sounded like three hands going at once. The audience was suitably impressed but in showbiz they say to leave ‘em wanting more. And he did.

 

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