David Gray has been a musician we have wanted to see live since the release of the timeless album White Ladder in 1998 and tonight that wish came true as we headed down to the Armadillo by the picturesque river Clyde in the sunshine, a venue where he also played a show back in March.
Talia Rae has been touring with David Gray around the UK and we arrived just in time for the duo taking to the stage, she sings on track Plus & Minus from Gray’s January album release Dear Life and would be back on stage later to co-vocal on that very song. The acoustics at the Armadillo are second to none with the cover of Prince classic Purple Rain a good example of this, the capacity crowd are singing along already. New song Julia is one of the best of the set as Talia thanks David Gray for allowing her to support on the tour. 7/10
The setlist for David Gray was a mixture of old and new tracks with an impressive six from latest effort Dear Life with the same number coming from number one album White Ladder. The Past And Present Tour has sold out all around the UK and beyond proving how much this talented man is respected as a musician. There are six musicians on the stage as the set begins with After The Harvest and My Oh My, the crowd are quiet and reserved tonight in comparison to the Viagra Boys show at Barrowland the previous evening that we had attended, no crowd surfing tonight, maybe more silver surfers! The album title track White Ladder goes down a treat with the crowd and is one of the best of the set, incredibly this is show number forty-seven of the year for the 56-year-old, a very impressive work-rate. Alibi is next up and is one of the most lively of the set, the stage set up had the drummer Craig McClune playing up at the front allowing the fans to have a more connective experience, he was having the time of his life with his distinctive playing style that includes the use of Flix Stix (fibre rods).
Talia Rae is back on the stage to co-vocal on Plus & Minus and Fighting Talk once again showcasing her talents while Please Forgive Me brings the crowd to life (at last) with hand clapping and a mass singalong being the order of the day for a track that is one of Gray’s most well-known numbers. The Soft Cell cover Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is quickly followed by Babylon as the crowd spring back to life for one of the best of the set. The encore begins with a cover of Sandy Denny song Where Does The Time Go and there was only one song that could end the set: Sail Away. This last track was played to absolute perfection so close to the river Clyde that was one of the most famous for shipbuilding, the UK leg of the tour is now over but is back playing in Ireland in August. 10/10
Written by: Alan Brown
