Live Performance Review: Rodriguez (London Jazz Festival 2012), Saturday 17.11.2012, 19:30, The Royal Festival Hall, London, & Sunday 25.11.2012 19:00, The Usher Hall Edinburgh

I had stopped believing in the prospect of this gig some years back. I was very keen to see Rodriguez live, though got to a point of thinking it was never going to happen. Then the morning after first seeing 'Searching for Sugar Man' at the cinema I notice within an article in the 'Metro' mention of a date at the Royal Festival Hall during the Jazz Festival in November...I got straight on the phone and got a ticket in the forth row.

The venue was a a larger hall than I was anticipating. Phantom Limb were good though not my cup of tea. One element that I was not comfortable with was the female vocalists tendency to screech, when she had a perfectly good voice at the higher notes there was no need for this. Some can screech and have it fit within their vocal expression, this was not a case of that. There was more control and less screeching in Edinburgh, making the performance more pleasant, though I still won't be seeking out recordings of this group. The musicians accompanying her were 2/5 of the band on guitar and keys. The full band, adding bass and drums, though without the vocalist, was the backing for Rodriguez.

This is the first 'pop' gig I've been to where the entire hall gave a standing ovation for the person just walking onto the stage. The whole of the Cold Fact Album was played with the exception of 'Jane S. Piddy' & 'Gomorrah (A Nursery Rhyme)'. There was a fair portion of songs from the lesser second album and several songs I did not know. There were further standing ovations after particular songs, at the end and throughout the encore, which ended with an unknown song performed solo. The band were sympathetic and a good choice for working with Rodriguez. On some songs his voice is not in as good shape as it was, there was what appeared to be occasional missed lyrics and slight errors, though this did not matter. The gentle humble manner of the man was a rare delight. The audience treated every song with reverence. The audience's response to the man by the end caused me to be in tears. It was beautiful to see someone who's work I appreciate so much, and whom in my view had been overlooked for too long, receive what can only be described as an outpouring of love.

Rodriguez said it was 'honor, pleasure and a privilege', to have performed before the audience present that night. I share his sentiment for having been able to have been present in the audience.

Rating: 10/10.
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(Weeks after this date was announced, and I had organised travel and accommodation, it was announced that he would perform at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.)

In Edinburgh the main set was the same, the band were tighter and adding in more detail of the songs. The lighting was better and the banter similar, though sadly the audience were not quite as rapturous as they were in London, though this is typical of audiences at The Usher Hall. As in London, Rodriguez sang 'Like A Rolling Stone' in the encore, though in a change to London this was proceeded by a performance of 'Blue Suede Shoes'. In London the encore ended with a lovely solo number (that I did not recognise) from Rodriguez, which sadly was not performed in Edinburgh. All in all, I still greatly enjoyed the performance and feel incredibly fortunate to have seen this great musician twice. Though it was not quite as good as London, which I largely put down to the audience.

Rating: 09/10.