September 17th 1990 – Town and Country Club, London
Supported by Energy Orchard
This was a great venue. A road trip down to London in the days before congestion charges and when you were able to find parking spaces close by the place you were visiting…..strange days!
Energy Orchard
These boys were from Belfast and had just released their first album, named, errr, “Energy Orchard”. So many bands seemed to self-name their first albums after themselves? Why? Was it to doubly promote who they were (marketing trick) or were they all so void of ideas for album names back then…..feels like the former, but it would be fun to know the reasoning.
They played 5 or 6 tracks from the album and were a very good rock, blues, folk band, so an ideal support for Steve Earle and a great platform to launch themselves from.
Stand out tracks were “Sailortown”, “Somebody’s Brother” and their biggest hit “Belfast Child” was so atmospheric and great guitar riff. They certainly sounded as though they were influenced by Bono, Simple Minds and lead singer Bap (Brian) Kennedy had a gravelly Irish voice.
Setlist (likely)
- Belfast
- Somebody’s Brother
- Lion
- King of Love
- Sailortown
- Walk In Love
- This House Must Fall
- Sweet Irish Rose
- Hard Street
Steve Earle and The Dukes
Just a full on Steve Earle extravaganza. The tour album way “The Hard Way” released earlier in the year. I was fairly new to Steve Earle, but had liked what I’d been recommended to listen to.
The big hit of Steve’s being “Copperhead Road. A fusion of rock, rock and roll, blues and country…….a real mixed up beat, but worked brilliantly. Steve was a little bit wayward as a being, but you know what, many creative musicians tends to be and that’s what makes them so endearing. So many guitar changes too, acoustic and electric and harmonica.
The venue was a pretty huge hall from what I remember, I don’t recall any seating, just a mass of standing and sweating…it was hot! Boys in denim sweating is also a different smell!!
He played lots of “The Hard Way” album as well as “Copperhead Road” and classics from “Guitar Town”.
Not to disparage Cinderella in any way, but they played a country style heavy rock which was great, but you could see what an accomplished guitar player Steve Earle was, such fantastic fret work and mesmerising to watch. He is very charismatic but not a showman. You get what you see, like it or not!
His sister, Stacey Earle, played in the band and was also an accomplished guitar player. She provided backing vocals throughout the show and was prominent on the track “Promise you anything”.
Great concert……
Set List
- This Highway’s Mine (Roadmaster)
- Promise You Anything
- The Devil’s Right Hand (Steve Earle song)
- I Ain’t Ever Satisfied
- My Old Friend the Blues (Steve Earle song)
- Someday (Steve Earle song)
- Country Girl
- West Nashville Boogie
- Snake Oil (Steve Earle song)
- Blue Yodel No. 9 (Standing on the Corner) (Jimmie Rodgers cover)
- The Other Kind
- Have Mercy
- When the People Find Out
- Regular Guy
- Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough) (Steve Earle song)
- Billy Austin
- Justice in Ontario
- Copperhead Road (Steve Earle song)
- Esmeralda’s Hollywood
- Johnny Come Lately (Steve Earle song)
- Fearless Heart (Steve Earle song)
- Guitar Town (Steve Earle song)
- I Love You Too Much
- Encore: She’s About a Mover (Sir Douglas Quintet cover), Dead Flowers (The Rolling Stones cover), Close Your Eyes
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