Kris Kristofferson at Cadogan Hall

Kris Kristofferson
Cadogan Hall, 29 July 2010

"That's a depressing song to be singing at my age," quips 74-year-old country legend Kris Kristofferson on a song he's just sung about going down to the river's edge to die. But, despite his advancing years and song subjects that run the gamut from lonesome laments to political statements to alcohol and the devil (of course, he is a country star after all), this was anything but a depressing show, rather a joyous celebration of a great man and his work.

Goodbye Ben Keith

I was upset to hear today that Ben Keith, the man who played beautiful pedal steel on so many classic Neil Young albums and toured with him on almost every non-Crazy Horse tour, has passed away at the age of 73. That’s him above playing with Neil during the Harvest sessions in 1972.

Rickie Lee Jones at the Union Chapel

Photo by Katja, as posted on Rickie's Facebook page

Rickie Lee Jones
Union Chapel, 9 July 2010

“I tend to play really long shows these days and I don’t even realise,” says Rickie Lee Jones, beaming that unmistakable smile of hers, after someone wandered on stage to whisper in her ear that she had almost reached the curfew. “Years ago I’d only play for an hour and 15 minutes and I couldn’t wait to get off!”

Crosby, Stills & Nash at the Royal Albert Hall

Crosby, Stills & Nash
Royal Albert Hall, 3 July 2010

Almost a year to the day that I first saw Crosby, Stills & Nash in the suitably magnificent setting of the Royal Albert Hall, I was back in the same place to see them again. This time I didn’t have quite as impressive seats (last time I was practically at the front), but was pleasantly surprised to find I was still quite near the stage but in the side stalls this time. I always forget just what an incredibly beautiful place the Royal Albert Hall is and how perfectly designed it is as a music venue, and to be fair I imagine no matter where you were sitting you would get a good view. But I must admit it is nice to be fairly close to your heroes where you can even hear their off-microphone banter on stage (my favourite being when Crosby responded to requests from the crowd saying “I’ll do all the ones I can remember” playing on his notorious drug-fuelled reputation and earning a huge laugh, to which Stills, off mike, pointed to Crosby’s tele-prompter and said “But you have that!”) .