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| Wreckless Eric and Roy Loney |
Thanks to a stalled Mission Street bus I was a little late for the
show... got there just as he started "Reconnez Cherie" which has
always been my fave of his. The joint was pretty well full near the stage so I
sidled up to the bar and was halfway down my gin and tonic when I realized Roy
Loney was sitting next to me. Roy told me I missed about 4 songs. Eric had an
acoustic guitar (which he later told me was an Alvarez) with a ton of distortion
and echo on it like the Stones Beggars Banquet sound.
He sometimes switched to a beat up old Telecaster. These went through an
old tube Guild combo amp that I’ve never seen before and didn't know existed. Very big and warm sounding. He talked a lot between songs as he
does (these bits are nearly as good as the songs themselves) and went on about
naughty (but "undocumented") things going on in the North London Holloway
public loo before performing “Joe Meek”. He did a lot of stuff off his recent
album “AmERICa” which is his best ever by the way including “Several Shades of
Green”, “Transitory Thing”, “Days of My Life”, “Boy Band”, “Sysco Trucks” and
the absolutely sublime closer from the record, “Have a Great Day”.
Opening band, The Mantles, joined him for “Whole Wide World” and came up
and joined him again for “I Wish It Would Rain”. They were excellent and it was
just fantastic to hear him with a band.
Eric graciously met and gret afterwards signing LPs and CDs (including
my copy of AmERICa).
Roy waited patiently to say hi while he took photos with fans. I helped
him out with the gear and hitched a ride in his Buick Le Sabre up to the
entrance of the Bay Bridge. His next stop was Portland but he said he was
staying over in Chico.
Eric really was in great form... I'd say he was as good - if not the
best - I've ever seen him.
Report by Don Ciccone (not pictured) / Eric and Roy Loney Pic courtesy of Bram Balam
The Mantles back Wreckless Eric on Whole Wide World from The Mantles on Vimeo.