Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets, Town Hall, Birmingham – review
Nick Lowe's new touring show promises a quality rock 'n' roll revue and that's just what we got at Birmingham Town Hall.
The silver-haired and bespectacled singer-songwriter took to the stage with a crack four-piece American band sporting Mexican wrestling masks.
Los Straitjackets, who have been together 25 years, are a brilliant guitar instrumental group and provided the perfect backing for the 70-year-old Lowe to show off gems from throughout his long career in music.
The set opened with So It Goes – his solo single debut from 1976 – and then it went everywhere with all kinds of cover versions and rock and roll rarities that delighted fans who enthusiastically applauded each song.
In the first half with Los Straitjackets, Without Love, Shting-Shtang and You Inspire Me shone.
Tokyo Bay, last year's release with the band, finished the first part of the show with Lowe leaving the stage to Los Straitjackets, featuring guitar genius Eddie Angel, to storm through a series of high energy rock instrumentals, including Pacifica and Kawanga, and all kinds of orchestrated routines.
Lowe returned to finish off a brief I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass and then delivered some of the best beautifully-crafted songs from his rich catalogue including Half a Boy and Half a Man and Love Starvation.
There was also a new Lowe song in Blue on Blue to enjoy before the set finished with a romp through a superb Cruel to Be Kind, a rocking Heart of the City and rockabilly-styled I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll).
French support band Howlin' Jaws had opened the night with a blast of pure 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly.
The Parisian three-piece – visiting Birmingham for the first time – were great fun through a high energy set that set included Rainy Days and Beer, Liquor and Wine.
