Andy Fairweather Low

Andy Fairweather Low

Posted: 25 Oct 2009

Andy Fairweather Low
The Customs House, South Shields

Also Darlington Arts Centre

Andy Fairweather Low played to a near sell-out audience and his performance hit a high note from the start.

Even though he was barely physically recognisable from his Amen Corner days, as soon as he began to sing we were transported effortlessly back to 1967. His voice has the same soft, slightly high pitch as always and for the next two hours he showed that he CAN play the guitar, is definitely not past it is and absolutely not a tribute band, but just himself.

His guitar expertise was widely demonstrated over the course of the evening through a huge range of musical genres ranging from 1930s blues by Jimmy Reed to Joe Cocker’s 2007 hit, Hymn for My Soul, which Andy wrote.  In between we were treated to a seamless stream of music backwards and forwards through the decades with Lonnie Donegan skiffle, Eric Clapton, an excellent rendition of Duane Eddy’s Peter Gunn and of course tracks from his own band Amen Corner in the 60s and his own solo career in the 70s playing Wide Eyed and Legless, Bend Me Shape Me and many more. 

After each track it seemed as if Andy changed his guitar – we lost count of how many different models were changed by his technician and all played brilliantly. Andy insists he is barely without a guitar in his hand, even when chatting to his wife at home, much to her frustration!

Andy Fairweather Low spent almost thirty years playing alongside many renowned musicians, most notably Eric Clapton, with whom he collaborated over many years particularly on ‘A Concert For George’, the tribute to George Harrison with whom he had also played. Andy also had a strong association with Roger Waters since 1985, recently playing on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon tour. He also played with The Who on Who are You and latterly toured with Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings.

All these musical influences were amply played out over the evening accompanied by his band The Low Riders, comprising drummer Paul Beavis, Dave Bronze on bass and vocals and the excellent Nick Pentelow on saxophone. All are very accomplished, respected musicians in their own right having also played with a wide range of artists over the years.

Andy Fairweather Low was a great success and hopefully will continue to tour. Having been somewhat ‘under the radar’ for the last few decades it was great to see him once again emerging in his own right.

 

Barbara Mason