Pentangle – Live in Liverpool, 2008

Elly Roberts reviews

Pentangleat Philharmonic Hall, LiverpoolMonday July 14, 2008


Light Flight Anthology:

  • Rating: 10/10+++
  • Band reunions are all the rage right now. This is the most unexpected of them all.

    Pentangle’s first gig was at the Royal Albert Hall on May 27 1967. By 1973they were finished.

    In the five years of their existence, they are credited with creating the jazz-folkgenre. Their greatest commercial success was album Basket Of Light (#5UK chart 1969) featuring hit single Light Flight used as the theme toBBC drama series Take Three Girls.

    Over night, Jacqui McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson and TerryCox became household names. They had a brief reunion in 1980. This time it was,presumably, sparked because of their Lifetime Achievement award at the BBC Radio2 Folk Awards in 2007, where they played together for the first time in over20 years.


    Back with a 12 gig tour this folk-jazz-blues band, with all five original membersplayed their last night of the tour at the Phil in Liverpool. Having seenRenbourn/McShee and Jansch separately, I knew what kind of night to expect – norazzamatazz . It’s normally serious business, though McShee made light of theirdoom and gloom songs.

    Nevertheless, we hadn’t come to see ‘fame’ merchants. We’d come to hear qualitymusic, and they didn’t disappoint either. For over two hours they rolled backthe years like they’d never been away. A fan next to me told me he saw themback in the 60s. I asked how they were measuring up: “They’ve matured,”he whispered.

    The stage setting was pretty formal: Renbourn and Jansch seated each side ofthe enormous Phil stage. Bassist Thompson and drummer Cox set further back,with McShee rooted at the centre, where for most of the night she shimmied andswayed. The backdrop was simple coloured panels.

    On their second song in,McShee declared, “There’s plenty of doom and gloom to come. This is our hit,”Light Flight of course. It didn’t sound as ‘full’ as the original, but McSheeshowed she’d lost none of her vocal gymnastics, now with added huskiness, drawingbig cheers and claps.


    Jansch’s introduction to The Hunting Song came like this. “This nextsong is typical of songs we were writing in the 60s – maids, knights and castles.We wouldn’t get away with it now.” Cox’s gentle glockenspiel eased in thebouncy ditty with masses of trad close harmony. Jokingly, McShee said, “We’regoing to play Once I Had A Sweetheart. It didn’t get anywhere, but we likeit.” It was their first single in ’69, reaching 46, good for a band of thistype. This beautiful and gentle love song was spellbinding. Renbourn was almost snapping the acoustic strings.

    McShee left for the others to play out jazzy In Time. Thomson’s funky bass precursored Renbourn’smasterful bluesy picks while Jansch, head down for most of the night, strummedaway. On McShee’s return she said: “We really are going back to the 60s now”,while Renbourn seated on he floor, prepared his sitar for trad styled The House Carpenter.

    Jansch plucked coolly on his banjo, McShee fluttered in. Renbourn mooched innext and Jansch followed with his deadpan vocal until the combo let rip withCox’s thumping sticks, closing the first set.


    Back for more they opened with Bruton Town a trad classic about a farmer’sdaughter falling in love with the house servant, who gets a thumping from her brothersfor his amorous advances. This featured some mind-boggling counter-play byRenbourn and Jansch while McShee swayed and tapped her feet.

    The cool andbreezy I’ve Got A Feeling with its pop template, still allowed Thompsonto indulge in one of his best solos of the night. With McShee off again, itoffered a duelling masterclass from Renbourn and Jansch on It Snows,while Goodbye Pork Pie Hat gave rise to some nifty basslines by Thompson.

    By 10.10pm it was all over. They soon returned for a further two – a requestfor Rain and Snow and the stylish closer Willy O’Winsbury bringing atriumphant end to a tour we might not see again.

    File under: Classic gig.

    Weblink:myspace.com/pentangle

    [Up to the top of this page]


    Loading…