Justin Currie

Stockton ARC
Stockton-on-Tees
9th May 2012

Sumptuous performance from Currie...

by wendavey on 6th March 2013 14:18

It's been almost ten years since Del Amitri, the popular scottish pop troubadors last released an album and toured, but former frontman Justin Currie retains a loyal following of fans who love his bittersweet, angst ridden songs of failed relationhips and "death" as he succinctly put it last night on stage at the Arc in Stockton.The show was the second in a short acoustic jaunt around the country and attracted a full crowd in an intimate setting. Armed with just a couple of acoustic guitars and electric piano Currie won over the crowd immediately with his easy good nature and a setful of, frankly, outstanding tunes. Whether pulling songs from his solo albums such as 'Anywhere I'm Away From You', 'Walking Through You', and 'No, Surrender', performing new material such as 'Little Stars' and 'My Soul Is Stolen' or giving some much-loved Del Amitri classics such as 'Move Away Jimmy Blue', 'Empty', 'Sleep Instead Of Teardrops', 'Whisky Remorse', 'Just Like A Man', 'Always The Last To Know', 'In The Frame', 'Kiss This Thing Goodbye' and the evening's closer 'Be My Downfall' Currie demonstrated throughout his hour and a half set just what an excellent singer/songwriter he is. He gamely took a few requests from the audience making several attempts to remember the chords in order to comply with a request for 'Stone Cold Sober' without success, but fared better with a rendition of 'Hatful Of Rain', aided by the audience who were happy to occasionally remind of the lyrics.