Virgin

This weekend in Lynchburg Tennessee some 250 people gathered for an intimate gig to pay homage to Jack Daniels, served up with some British musical mixers. I was there to check it out and I can’t think of a better way to say Happy Birthday than by raising glass after glass in honour of my lovely friend Mr Jack Daniels.

As the sun went down on BBQ Hill overlooking the sleepy town of Lynchburg the music started. The guests of honour for the evening were Young Knives’ Tom Dartnall, Moloko’s Roisin Murphy, The Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell and Ash’s Tim Wheeler. They were backed by the impressive “official Jack Daniels band” who between them have enough credentials to impress any music fan. Playing to a distinctly British audience, the crowd were enthusiastic (helped along by the seemingly endless glasses of Jack Daniels that were being dished out).

Kicking off proceedings an extremely nervous Tom Dartnall took to the stage admitting to the audience that without his bass guitar he was anxious. Nerves quickly subsided as he belted out his set which included covers of the Pixies’ “Wave of Mutilation”, David Byrne’s “Glass, Concrete and Stone” and “Hello I Love You” by The Doors, as well as his own songs. The highlight both for us and for Tom, was a duet of No More Heroes with Hugh Cornwell, a brilliant rendition which showed off the vocal talents of both old and new.

Roisin Murphy excelled as the Queen of Eccentricity adorning herself in full military regalia complete with what looked like a seahorse on a string attached to her medals. Marching, jumping around and generally being a little strange, her vocals more than made up for her bizarre stage antics as she delivered a brilliant set which even included an unusual cover of Bryan Ferry’s “Slave to Love” and a shout out to American drama The Wire with a beautiful rendition of Tom Wait’s “Down in the Hole”.

Tim Wheeler rounded up the barn experience playing Ash classics such as “Goldfinger” and “Shining Light” before delivering some brilliant but obscure covers such as Reckless Eric’s “Whole Wide World” and Thin Lizzy’s “Running Back”. He took this opportunity to describe Thin Lizzy as the “best Irish band”, referring to U2’s success and reverence as “bullshit”. Tim held the stage and the crowd like anyone twice his age would have and ended the gig on a high.

Finally all the acts gathered on stage to perform “Gloria”, having fun, rocking out and toasting Jack Daniels. Great Gig.

For pictures of the gig and of Lynchburg itself check out my flickr account

Set List

Tom ‘House of Lords’ Dartnall

• The Decision
• Turn Tail
• Wave of Mutilation
• Hello I Love You
• Long Cool Drinks
• No More Heroes (duet with Hugh Cornwell)
• Glass, Concrete and Stone

Hugh Cornwell - Do Right Bayou

Roisin Murphy

• Slave to Love
• Baby I’m Scared
• Scarlet Ribbons
• Where is the What
• Peaches (with Hugh)
• Through Time
• Down in the Hole

Hugh - Picked up by the Wind

Tim Wheeler

• Goldfinger
• Running Back
• Dark and Stormy
• Always the Sun (with Hugh)
• Shining Light
• Starry Eyes
• Whole Wide World

Encore - Gloria