Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Live Review: The Johnny Cash Roadshow, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 07.10.2016


Although I was previously familiar with a few of his well-known hits, it's only been over the past couple of years that faithful travelling companion has introduced me to more of the music of "the man in black" - the legendary singer/songwriter Johnny Cash, whose career spanned several decades and he is as popular today as he has ever been.  For a while we had planned to go to a tribute show and after some research we discovered the Johnny Cash Roadshow, which has been touring the UK and Europe for the last few years.  It's also endorsed by the Cash family, so what better recommendation do you need?

On its latest tour, the show came to Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall which was packed with a wide age group of fans, which just proves the enduring popularity of Johnny Cash; his career spanned all genres of music and gained new respect with younger fans thanks to his 90s career resurgence.  

The show kicked off with the legendary "Folsom Prison Blues" and from then on we were treated to a couple of hours of songs from every phase of Johnny Cash's prolific music catalogue: from his early rock n' roll numbers to the later songs like "Hurt" which won him a whole new audience.  

The man in black is played by Clive John, and the whole production clearly mixes attention to detail with a genuine passion for the music which is recreated with great skill.  It's not just a Cash tribute show, as it also recognises the important role of June Carter (played by Jill Schoonjans) which includes the popular duet "Jackson" which is an audience favourite, whilst the Carter Sisters also provide a lively vocal backdrop.  The band are very talented and versatile musicians and a particular highlight is their performance of "Highwayman" as the "supergroup" of Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

The Cash catalogue has a number of crowd-pleasers including "San Quentin", "One Piece at a Time", "A Thing Called Love", "I Walk The Line", "Orange Blossom Special", "Ghost Riders In The Sky" - yes they're all here.  We are particularly happy that they included "I Got Stripes" and our particular favourite "25 Minutes To Go", yep, yet another song about a prison, this time about the countdown to an appointment with the hangman!  It goes without saying that the much-requested "A Boy Named Sue" was one of the highlights of the set, and the grand finale was of course the hugely popular "Ring Of Fire".

We had a very enjoyable night out at the Johnny Cash Roadshow which we would definitely recommend.  Great performances and a high standard of musical excellence, along with a genuine love for the man and his music makes this one of the best tribute shows around.  I'd definitely recommend that you get along there and check it out.  More info regarding the cast and upcoming tour dates in Britain and Europe at http://www.johnnycashroadshow.com/

No comments: