Last time Grant was in Cambridge was a joint headline tour with Howe Gelb, tonight is solo and he brought along Texan, Jarrod Dickensen and his wife Claire as openers.

Jarrod has a powerful voice and wife Claire (from Belfast) one of the sweetest voices you could wish to hear.

New album ‘Ready the Horses’ provided a chunk of fine songs and the set ended with a song “too new for the album’ which bodes well for the follow-up. A lovely set.

Grant-Lee Phillips bounced onto the stage at 8.30pm sharp. Looking healthy, tanned and full of energy. A set of twenty-two songs over ninety minutes was not only career spanning but also, quite magnificent. Just a couple of breaks for some banter with the audience, this really was a non- stop set of songs old and new.

New album ‘King of Catastrophes‘ has some really great songs and whilst this was obviously the featured album of the set, there is never any reluctance to step back into the vast catalogue that Grant has produced over the years. The Grant Lee Buffalo song were lapped up by the full house and as ‘Smoke and Sparks’ ended the set and Grant said “Goodnight” there was still more to come, he fell into the ‘trap of the Portland’.

This is a venue with no backstage, you enter the stage though the audience and vice versa at the end of the show. There is however a door at the back of the stage which leads to a corridor into the pub. At a recent gig some unsuspecting lady open the door after a trip to the ladies, nearly finding herself on stage! ..... Ever since the door had been locked, which Grant found out as he tried to exit the stage.

This lead to much laughter and another song! An off-mic performance of ‘Mona Lisa’. That was the end of a fantastic set and Grant exited stage front to much applause and slaps on the back.

Let’s hope he returns to “Harry Potters” town soon!

Pete

Set list

Walk in Circles
Miss Betsy
The Wilderness
Something's Gotta Give
King of Catastrophes
Cry Cry
San Andreas Fault
Buried Treasure
Mighty Joe Moon
Honey Don't Think
Mockingbirds
Arousing Thunder
Mobilize
Unruly Mobs
Another, Another, Then Boom
It Ain't the Same Old Cold War Harry
Josephine of the Swamps

Encore:

Fuzzy
Loaded Gun
Jupiter and Teardrop
Smoke and Sparks

Encore 2:

Mona Lisa -(Off-mic performance)