Well this was a special gig. A UK tour by Jim White is a pretty rare thing and it is thanks to Clive Barnes, that Jim is touring our shores. Clive is an Irish guitarist and promoter, who also plays the support slot and plays guitar next to Jim for the main set.
Clive’s set was just four or five songs with a couple of interesting stories around his time in America in the early days and then a rather entertaining story around a chance meeting with Bruce Springsteen!
This storytelling really set the tone for the evening. A Jim White show is no ordinary concert. Jim is a very humble man with a lot of stories to tell. Over the next two hours and twenty minutes we hear songs and stories about Jim's life; growing up, getting a record contract and adulthood in America. Stories of friends, locations, despair and heart warming love.
The songs are just superb, both musicians on the same wavelength ( after a few weeks in a “very small car together”) touching on all parts of Jim’s career.
Toward the end of the show, Jim play’s his “second most popular song” ‘Still Waters’ which is enchanting until he forgets the words to the second verse. He looks over at Clive and says "guess we will have to play something else, unless anyone in the audience can help?"). Phones flicker on and someone shouts out “So I headed on to Florida where” and it all floods back and Jim finishes the song.
At the end of the set, Jim explained that he had received a text from his daughter thanking him for sending her $100. “She really needed $100” he said. He paused and then said speaking to the audience, “it’s because of you guys attending the shows that I can send $100 to my daughter”. He then got up from his chair and applauded us!
As I said a very humble and talented man and a very special show indeed.
Pete
