Although I have been a fan of Bill's from 1981 it was only with last years gig at the Jazz Cafe, Camden that I finally managed to see him live. This subsequent tour was scheduled after the success of that show and the Windsor gig was the easiest for my wife and I to attend. Having said that we found Windsor okay but finding the Arts Centre was rather more tricky, so we missed the 1st half of the show which was a film that Bill had created. The staff at the venue were very helpful though even when we both tried to use the bathroom that was theoretically Bill's. The tour is a one man show, highlighting Bill's guitar skills. He played to pre-recorded backing tracks, on which he played all the instruments, and then improvised guitar parts over the top on half-a-dozen beautiful guitars, changing guitar practically every song. Each piece has an attendant film that Bill has created using his movie camera and Apple Mac (well, what else would you use?). The show started well but really started to take off with the third piece "Appolinaire", which not only showed what a great guitarist Bill is but hinted at some of his early influences such as Hank Marvin, with its' clean guitar lines. "It Just Doesn't Rain Like it Used to" highlighted Bill's use of cut-up taped voices, sourced from old films, radio programmes and the like. It is a piece that has a haunting nostalgic feel, whilst using some of the most modern techniques in its' creation. Another key piece was "Locarno", which had excerpts from an early 1960s Richard Harris movie spliced into Bill's accompanying film. The Harris movie, "This Sporting Life" was shot on location in Bill's home town, Wakefield, and included shots both interior and exterior of the Locarno dance hall, which the teenage Bill Nelson frequented to pick up girls and listen to rock and roll. "For Stuart" was as beautiful as ever. this piece initially written to be played at the memorial service for Stuart Adamson, a fan of Bill's music with Be Bop Deluxe, guitarist with the Skids and guitarist, singer, songwriter with Big Country. Unsurprisingly given the warmth of the reception Bill played wonderfully and his final encore piece was the one which fascinated my music graduate wife the most. He recorded short bursts of guitar music using one of his effects pedals and then looped that burst, repeating the process until he had created a stunning backing track. He then proceeded to improvise over the top of that, calling the piece "My Flickering Neon Afterlife". It left the audience in no doubt as to Bill's skill with the guitar or ability to create hauntingly beautiful music out of the wires. Links: Sound-on-Sound (publisher of some of Bill's music and named after his 1979 album) Windsor Arts Centre (unfortunately now closed) Originally posted October 5, 2003
January 29, 2008
Bill Nelson “Painting with Guitars” at Windsor Arts Centre 4 October, 2003
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