Another Fine Fest entertained Ulverston with all manner of performances at a string of sites and venues throughout the town over the weekend of the 17th and 18th of June. I didn’t get to see much of the live music on offer, as I was working elsewhere, but I think a special mention should go to Jon Byrne who played the closing set on the Sunday evening at the Melodrome stage outside the Roxy cinema which also houses the Laurel & Hardy Museum.
This was something of a ‘comeback’ gig for Jon, as he had posted early in the year that he was taking an extended break from live performance. An expectant audience sat on hay bales and waited in the sunshine until Jon took to the stage just after 6:30pm. Whether he was playing songs on piano or with his acoustic guitar, it was clear that he was glad to be back and was in fine form. For the guitar-led songs, Jon also brings his stomp-box into the mix, adding a ‘kick’ drum sound as he stamps relentlessly with his feet on what looks like a tortured box-file. He also has the harmonica at his disposal to add further colour to the set plus his trademark strong vocals now interspersed with high falsetto sections.
Original songs such as ‘Living the Dream’ and my personal favourite, ‘Love Going Every Which Way But In’, had the crowd up dancing and singing along as they welcomed their much-loved troubadour back where he belongs. It’s not often he plays covers of other bands songs, but his versions of the Oasis classics ‘Whatever’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’ were also well received, plus a selection of new material he’s been working on recently. After a frenetic hour of performance Jon ended his set with his signature tune ‘Don’t Let Life Get You Down’, which for once, didn’t end in a stage invasion.
It’s fair to say that it’s good, no, it’s really great, to have Jon back.
Here’s to the next time.
David Duffin