Joe Brown

Kicking off a lengthy three month tour, tonight’s down to earth concert proves that the ever-youthful Joe Brown commands respect. A survivor from the pre-Beatles rock’n’roll era, Brown’s great assets are his un-showy multi-instrumental talents (ukulele, guitar and fiddle) and his cheery East End humour. Across an acoustic first half and electric second, Brown and his band mixed his 60s hits with an impressive, broad range of covers and the odd traditional Jewish, Italian and Hawaiian tune, their blend of skiffle and country styles keeping the show upbeat. Free from cheesy revivalism, this was a rich, rootsy delight.

The Hawth, Crawley, 19 September 2012

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