Richard Thompson

A happy boastful brag of a blog tonight!

I have tickets to go and see Richard Thompson play in Glasgow on 15 October! This fulfills an old ambition, sadly thwarted last year when a family illness meant I had to give my tickets to friends when I couldn't go to a concert in Perth.

Richard Thompson has been a favourite of mine for over thirty years, and I am appalled that I have never been to see him before. He is a great guitarist and a truly original songwriter - covered by all sorts of people from Bonnie Raitt. (Dimming of the Day") to REM ("Wall of Death"). The "Pride of Barnsley" - Kate Rusby - does a version of RT's "Withered and Died" that will make your heart ache.

Thompson's early work was with Fairport Convention, whose album "Liege and Lief", now 30 years old, is still reckoned to be the finest folk rock album ever made. His subsequent work, both with his wife Linda and as a solo artist, is full of musical gems. His material could rarely be described as cheerful, but he writes and records powerful songs that often accurately describe life's more thoughtful moments. However, he also does a highly regarded cover of Britney Spear's "Oops - I did it again! - so he isn't all doom and gloom! There is a deeply geeky Wikipedia entry on the great man here.

I'm looking forward to my night out in Glasgow immensely. Expect a joyful outpouring on my return!