Review: David Ramirez, Louisiana

Attending small venue gigs is always a pleasure but now it’s become a duty with the man trying to fuck over our lovely music rooms – The Thekla has been under siege (although can you actually besiege a boat?) and the admittedly not-quite-so-small Fleece has fought off one attack only to be under threat again. So remember people, not only do you find some fabulous talent away from the big places but you have to resist the man as he attempts to destroy our culture.

The Louie has been presenting fabulous talent for donkey’s and tonight was no exception. Kerri Watt (“with an I and no S”) opened her set with current single Old School Love, an instant ear worm: strong vocals with a lilting delivery and yearning lyrics underpinned by delicate picking. A warm presence on stage, and with an easy line in self-deprecating banter, the singer had the audience on her side from the first chord. She Said, written for her mum, was played early to avoid “only singing about love” and proved another little classic, a tune with slice of life lyrics a little off the well-trodden introspective singer / songwriter path that threatened to get bluesy.

Intuition was powerful and Watt’s voice found a bit of a rasp, a throaty rasp that suggested it would be intriguing & exciting to hear her fronting a hairy arsed rock band as she’s certainly got the power and the range, more so than some of her more fey sisters in song. Swapping acoustic for piano her love letter to her place of birth Song of my Soul was a powerful piece and interestingly was the first time the phrase “coat of arms” has been heard on stage in Bristol since Manowar played the Colston Hall.

Song of my Soul was complimented by another love letter, Long Way Home, this time addressed to her adopted home of California and whilst her lyrics had impressed throughout this featured some really delightful couplets: “Glasgow’s an anchor in my heart where the sun never shines but it never gets dark”. Sorrow was particularly noteworthy – one of her earliest compositions – that she informed us she was stealing back from her brother, who’d been economic with the truth of the song’s origins when performing it (paraphrasing here). As with Song of my Soul, Sorrow featured delicate ivory tinkling but leavened with seventies Elton oomph too and deserved to be stolen back.

Watt delivered a delightful and engaging set, classy songs and a classy stage presence free from ego, a disarming friendly presence and musically adept. She’s got the songs, she’s got the chops and she delivers on stage so all she needs now is you to check out her tunes and be at her next Bristol show.

David Ramirez played a frankly superb 18 song set – plenty from his cracking new release We’re Not Going Anywhere, plenty from his back catalogue and just a solitary cover. He played vigorous guitar throughout but with plenty of pretty picking and nimble simultaneous rhythm and lead. His voice was strong throughout, ranging from arena sized roar to hushed falsetto; country crooning and a wry world weariness. The tunes were inventive and catchy, lyrically accessible and free from cliché. And on numerous occasions he had the room laughing like drains – not bad for a guy who admitted he was stunned at the size of the crowd.

Find the Light was a powerful and uplifting opening cut, the power in Ramirez’s voice rather than the understated yet totally appropriate guitar work. Twins hit home with minimalist but totally focussed and totally current lyrics, Ramirez suggesting he’d started the set with “something hopeful then I totally ripped that hope to shit”. The sparse acoustic version lost none of the spook of the recorded version and hit home more than ever given the escalating fuckwittery over the pond.

Thereafter Ramirez brought the mood up and down with his tunes, a lot of tales of love, but love in the real world, a million miles away from the world of ersatz Hallmark love, ain’t no card gonna feature “But if you’re asking me now I’ll tell you the truth It’s getting harder and harder to lie to you” (Harder to Lie). Ramirez skewering the myth of love and yet still happy carry a melodious torch for the possibility of love: “There is nothing like my baby’s love, better than wine and whiskey, my baby gets me drunk, you take me to glory, you take me to glory love” (Glory built on the most ridiculously pretty melody). Kindness hit that romantic spot too, its pretty melody somehow bringing to mind a lovelorn cowboy (well Ramirez hails from the Lone Star State).

As well as affairs of the (oft broken) heart the current state of the music business was beautifully skewered in Stone, prefaced by his revelation that he worried the song was cynical until he discovered a Hunter S Thompson quote that confirmed he was not alone in his views. The solitary cover (Neil Young’s Vampire Blues) was low slung with ghostly harp that fitted beautifully with his own material and the vibe of the set.

Towards the end of the set Ramirez again commented on his pleasure and surprise at the size of the crowd and sportingly suggested the crowd should pick the last songs of the set, and happily played those requests: Watching from a Distance in particular went down a storm and he closed the set with a stirring I’m Not Going Anywhere, a robust screw-you to the concept of physical death and the corner stone of the current LP.

Ramirez is a great talent, whilst his recordings feature inventive accompaniment the live renditions show the strength of the songs, they are as delightful stripped bare as they are on <insert media of your choice here>. He’s an adept lyricist able to mix affairs of the heart whilst injecting new twists into evergreen themes along with social commentary that entertains and inflames. He’s a great raconteur too, as the night went by the banter changed into a conversation with plenty of laughter and comments back and forth, one of those lovely inclusive sets. The crowd gave him a rapturous response, respectfully quiet when needed but roaring their appreciation for each song. Hell, Ramirez got a round of applause when he walked up to the merch to meet and sign stuff. He mentioned a return with a full band in the summer, fingers crossed Bristol is on the schedule (odds on, he mentioned the Mexican food in town is better than at home).

All pix John Morgan

David Ramirez: Louisiana, 15th January 2018