Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds, Town Hall, Birmingham 21/11/13
Ade Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds Ade Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds were in the perfect environment in the setting of Birminghams Town Hall. With a crowd comprised mainly of 40-somethings it was easy to see that these were devoted fans who have followed him all the way from his early comedic days as Vivian the punk rocker from The Young Ones.
Ade Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds An element of Vivian still shines in side of Ade as the ensemble of tunes that Bad Shepherds “cover” in their folksy style are all punk/rock records from your collection that you may well have forgotten your love for. They certainly add a new unexplored tone to them reinventing them in their own way. They can certainly create an upbeat and heartfelt vibe in equal measure gliding effortlessly from classics such as No More Heroes (Stranglers) to Once In A Lifetime (Talking Heads).
Ade Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds Ade cannot resist an anecdote, their in between song stories were full of warmth and well judged humour. At one point Ade told of his early days explaining to his father about wanting to be a musician and not having his fathers faith in him, then 10 years later owning a quarter of a million pound house. He proclaimed “F*** You Dad” before proceeding to the next number.
Ade Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds Overall it makes you wonder whether the structure of punk/rock is so far from folksy numbers as they work so perfectly which could explain some of the popularity of modern bands such as Mumford & Sons and Stornoway. An hour and half set was just the right amount of time for people to enjoy what they have to offer and everyone left satisfied and perhaps wanting more. This will not be the last we see of Bad Shepherds for a while to come.
Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou The earlier support by Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou was well suited to the feel of the night but didn’t seem to captivate the audience the way that other similar acts may well have done. A beautiful sound and 2 harmonious voices that work together beautifully but in a half an hour set perhaps showing a more diverse range of talent would have intrigued the audience further. Photographs by Rob Hadley
