IAN HUNTER – Bristol O2 Academy 14th October 2010
Time really does fly. A few days’ shy of a year ago Ian Hunter was onstage at the Hammersmith Apollo fronting the reformed Mott The Hoople for what was a string of hugely successful dates; twelve months later he’s back on the road again, this time promoting his recent ‘Man Overboard’ album with the Rant Band. ‘Just another night’, as the man himself might say.
The opening was very low-key. Hunter, struggling with a cold, sat at the piano for the first six numbers of the night. The atmospheric ‘Sea Diver’ from ‘All The Young Dudes’ – a song over 35 years old now – kicked things off and although it seemed like a strange way to set the ball rolling, looking back it was the perfect way to open a set which built and built and built to an exciting climax. ‘Life After Death’, ‘Cleveland Rocks’, ‘Dancin’ On The Moon’, and ‘Irene Wild’ followed, all fine songs from various times in the All-American Alien Boy’s career. Although an eclectic-looking bunch, the Rant Band (Mark Bosch and James Mastro on guitar, Paul Page on bass, Andy Burton on keyboards and Steve Holley on drums) were the perfect musicians to convey the emotions and inflections of Hunter’s often-introspective compositions.
A shout from the crowd for ‘Girl From The Office’ received the response “you’ll be the only one who knows it!” from Hunter. But veering off the set list the band duly obliged, pulling off a slightly ramshackle but perfectly serviceable impromptu rendition of the ‘Man Overboard’ track and following it with a truly blistering version of another office girl, ‘Sweet Jane’, the Lou Reed song Mott The Hoople made their own.
The first encores saw Hunter sat at the piano again to announce “I’m in the middle of a cough and a cold, so if I miss the top one, imagine it!” before leading the band into ‘Tonight’ from the musical ‘West Side Story’ – and no, he didn’t go for the final note! A heads-down no-nonsense version of ‘All The Way… with Hunter’s traditional ‘that’s yer lot’ shout ostensibly brought things to a close.
But that was just the starter. As the lights came up once more Mick Ralphs and Tracey Hunter strode out for the send-them-away-happy crowd pleasers ‘Roll Away The Stone’, ‘Saturday Gigs’ and ‘All The Young Dudes’. At 71 years old – or should that be 71 years young? – Ian Hunter Patterson is still living the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll. Long may it last!
John Tucker (c) October 2010