Lloyd Cole, Birmingham Town Hall - review
From Chapel-en-le-Frith, near Buxton, to Easthampton, Massachussetts; it's been a long and winding road for arch indie miserabilist Lloyd Cole.
As the creator of some of Britain's most melodious and enduring tunes, he's been on the fringes of the mainstream for pushing 30 years.
And his Friday night set at the elegantly upholstered Birmingham Town Hall gave fans the opportunity to marvel at his subtle and beguiling craft.
The hits were few and far between: for in an age of instant gratification and X Factor mediocrity, Cole has followed the road less travelled. He was, and still is, an albums man: a performer who lets his message slowly unfold without hindrance or haste.
His two-hour, two-set show in Birmingham was an evening for the connoisseur.
And, in truth, he's rarely sounded so good. His acoustic guitar playing was deft and harmonious, his vocals warm and reassuring like an open fire.
He remains one of Britain's most intelligent and witty lyricists, a man capable of giving Morrissey a run for his money as he articulates the humdrum and I the human condition in waspish vignettes.
Celebrating the release of a new six-cd box set, he was able to pick and choose from a glorious and redolent back catalogue. So we started with Rattlesnakes and I his Commotions-era worked, stopping off at key points in between, from the beautiful Butterfly and evocative Love Story to
By Andy Richardson
