Reviewed by Ray Smith, Thursday 18th February 2016
I have witnessed
Vin Garbutt performances many times in my life, and have even been lucky enough to play as his support act on a few occasions, but I have never seen him quite like this before.
The Thursday night Fringe Show at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel attracted a large and eager audience an hour before the performance began. There were many familiar faces in the crowd and one or two rather famous ones, too.
The show began with two of the members of local ensemble, Vincent's Chair.
Kathie Renner, vocals and guitar, was joined by Karen De Nardi on viola in a set of original songs from the Vincent's Chair repertoire.
Although only two legs of the chair were on stage there was no hint of a wobble as the pair delivered crisp and well-rehearsed songs to an appreciative audience.
Vin was introduced by the inimitable Eric Ford, who's broad Scottish accent can baffle the uninitiated, and entered the stage, guitar in hand, and sat down on the chair placed centre stage to begin.
I have never seen Vin Garbutt perform a concert sitting down before.
The tumultuous applause and cheers died down to a hushed silence the moment the man began to speak as the expectant audience waited to hear the opening gambit of one of the wittiest and most affable communicators in contemporary acoustic music.
They were not disappointed.
Garbutt can hold an audience in the palm of his hand whether sitting or standing and the enraptured attention of the listeners was palpable.
His opening song was a master stroke.
With the audience still wiping tears of laughter from their eyes, Vin unleashed a song of such personal sadness and loss that while the smiles slid from faces the tears continued. The story of the tragic death of his close friend John was poignant, heartfelt and bared the soul of the Teesside Troubadour to all present.
It was like cold water to the face. It was shocking and naked and real and we all knew that the mischievous Young Tin Whistle Pest was finally feeling the years like the rest of us.
During
the concert Vin revealed that he had been very ill during 2015 and had been forced to stop performing for a period of months and that he was still feeling a little tired.
Of course the information was delivered with the usual off the cuff humour that softened the blow but did not blur the message as he led us chuckling through the worst year of his life.
Garbutt performed many of the songs from his latest CD, Synthetic Hues.
The album was completed in October 2015 but was not toured that year due to Vin's poor health. He repeatedly referred to it as, "the Christmas Special" as he treated us to many of the fine songs that it contains.
No Vin Garbutt concert is complete without a tune or two on the tin whistle and tonight was no exception.
Although he claimed he couldn't remember the name of the opening tune his performance was the familiar mixture of humour and virtuosity and if the applause of the classical flautist who accompanied me is anything to go by a very fine performance it was.
Although he has "been a bit poorly", as he put it, Vin Garbutt is back and in cracking form and, like the rest of the audience in that crowded room, I was delighted to see it.
I did buy the CD of course.
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