Pain and passion: the superb showman of chanson Alan Clayson

Alan Clayson sings Chanson with Andy Lavery and Mark T

at the Ship Inn Arts Centre, Ashford Hill

on Saturday, February 15

Review by BRIAN HARRINGTON

THIS was my first time seeing a gig in the lovely and intimate atmosphere and surroundings this venue offers.

The show opened with Alan giving a short, informative talk on the roots of chanson and some of its leading exponents.

For anyone unfamiliar with the genre it was pioneered in France by the likes of Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour and taken-up in Britain and the US by artists as diverse as Stanley Holloway, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, Dusty Springfield and Scott Walker.

It is full of pain and passion and frequently looks at the seedier, sadder side of life.

Andy Lavery on acoustic guitar opened musical proceedings with a set of excellent folk which ranged from a composition he created for series seven of the TV series Outlander and included Borrowing Trouble and Sinking Giggling In To The Sea.

Well crafted songs with intelligent, clever lyrics.

Mark T then gave us a set of bouzouki music which ranged from Greek rembetika (urban Greek folk) to blues-based and medieval dances, both courtly and common. Superb musicianship.

Andy Lavery then returned on keyboards to accompany Alan Clayson, who opened with Mathilde, a Jacques Brel song, followed by another Brel song, Next, which was covered here by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

This was a wonderfully varied set covering everything from the comedic Sweeney Todd The Barber through Dominique, a track made famous in Britain by the Singing Nun to Days in Old Rotterdam, Le Cabotin (the Ham), The Old Dover Road, Amsterdam and, finally, by way of an encore The Impossible Dream from the musical Man Of La Mancha.

Every track was delivered with the full force of emotion and, where appropriate, anguish demanded by chanson.

An evening of almost infinite variety of musical content in a lovely setting.

Hugely entertaining.