OLD
CROW MEDICINE SHOW - FORUM THEATRE - 13 MARCH 2009
It may have been Friday the 13th, but Old Crow Medicine Show fans no doubt
felt lucky to be present at what was a sensational show of high powered
acoustic music played with enormous energy and flamboyance.
Old Crow Medicine Show is a five piece band comprising Kevin Hayes (Guitjo
and Vocals), Ketch Secor (Fiddle, Harmonica, Banjo and Vocals), Morgan
Jahnig (Upright Bass), Willie Watson (Guitar, Banjo and Vocals) and Gill
Landry (Slide Guitar, Banjo and Vocals). They hail from Nashville and
have been garnering a wide following through constant touring.
This was their first tour of Australia and they are certain to have won
new fans with what was certainly a fantastically good live performance
that rocked the Forum to its core.
 Jordie Lane & Tracy McNeil |
Before the
feature event the audience was treated to two diverse support acts, the
talented duo Jordie Lane & Tracy McNeil (Fireside Bellows) performed
a mellow set showcasing songs from their highly regarded No Time To
Die CD.
They were followed by Tim Rogers and band who upped the tempo, performing
a set of rather good rock music. I was pleasantly surprised by Tim Rogers'
performance, having previously seen him as support for Gillian Welch and
instantly forming a bad impression.
OCMS took the stage at about 9.00pm and performed two sets in all, with
a generous encore of three or four songs, dubbed the third set by main
spokesman Ketch Secor.
 L to R - Ketch Secor, Morgan Jahnig, Willie Watson |
My attempt
at noting the set list was not successful as my notes were illegible,
but during the three hour show, highlights included Down Home Girl,
Tennessee Pusher, Minglewood Blues, and Methamphetamine. They
also performed a bluegrassy version of the Bob Dylan song Lay Lady
Lay and finished the main show with the rousing Union Maid.
A great many of the songs were taken from their last two albums Big
Iron World and Tennessee Pusher.
During one song, the floor crowd spontaneously waved their boots in the
air. The significance of this totally escapes me.
As a band OCMS are fascinating to watch - very lively and flamboyant.
Willie Watson, one of the principal vocalists, roved all over the stage
engaging with his band mates and the action was interspersed with the
occasional clustering of instruments, bluegrass fashion, around a single
mike. Various members of the group regularly swapped instruments - banjo
for guitar, guitar for fiddle, all played in a masterly fashion.
 |
Ketch Secor
provided most of the stage patter, expressing great enthusiasm for the
Victorian countryside and Melbourne city. He has a distinctive voice,
but it blends well in harmony with Willie Watson and Kevin Hayes who also
over the course of the evening, led the singing.
OCMS have taken old time Americana and folk music in an exhilarating new
direction, bluegrass and country music played with a rock attitude.
For sure the Forum crowd got their money's worth and there is every indication
that an evening with the Old Crow Medicine Show will be repeated in a
not too distant future.
Review and photos by Anne Sydenham