The Sage
Gateshead
5 May 2010
DELIGHT, Arkansas, US, is the birthplace of Glen Campbell. And delight was precisely what the 74-year-old singer created in a show packed with some of his greatest hits.
Opening with Gentle On My Mind, which entered the US charts in 1967, Campbell
quickly won over a capacity crowd at The Sage.
Backed by a highly talented band, which included three of his children, Campbell paid ample tribute to his old songwriting friend, Jimmy Webb, including great versions of such classics as Galveston, Didn't We? and the timeless Wichita Lineman.
Shaking off some of the stage confusion that has marked his recent performances, Campbell proved why he was a session guitarist for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, studding his vocals with great solos, including some intricate Jimi Hendrix-style playing above his head.
Dressed casually in black jeans and shirt, Campbell looked totally at ease as he acknowledged country music founding father Hank Williams, with Lovesick Blues, recalled acting with John Wayne before singing True Grit and pulled out all the instrumental stops with a storming William Tell Overture.
The hits were all present and correct - Rhinestone Cowboy and Southern Nights included - but perhaps the highlight of the show was his emotional reading of the relatively obscure Jimmy Webb number, Postcards From Paris.
With a new album in the pipeline, Glen Campbell's musical career is very much alive, decades since his chart heyday.
TERRY KELLY
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