John Martyn, Bournemouth Pavilion
A rare appearance on the south coast for one of this country's greatest, yet never truly commercially rewarded, songwriters. This was the fourth date of 15 on John Martyn's first tour for three years and comes exactly a year after having part of a leg amputated through ill health.
The audience at Bournemouth Pavilion were treated to two hours of incredible live music which took us all on an emotional two-hour drift through Martyn's 37-year musical career. Backed by drums, keyboards and bass,1 the 55-year-old played tracks from his new album On The Cobbles as well as his early classics Solid Air and the brilliant May You Never.
This is the One For The Road tour but let's hope that road brings Martyn from his Scottish homeland back to the south coast soon. Having to wait another three years for the privilege to see this folk/jazz genius live again just wouldn't be right.
sitenotes:
1 Arran Ahmun, Spencer Cozens, John Giblin.
This review was published in the (southern) Daily Echo of 3 May 2004.