COMMENTS/FURTHER INFORMATION

Submitted by David Budd & Reg Brick. Comments from Doreen Zelisney:

He opened 20 mins late by not even looking at the audience; picked up a guitar and began to play, an instrumental... mesmerizing and captured the audience immediately. The lights were very effective in their simplicity - no distraction from the voice and music of the man. He referred to seeing Blade 2 the night before and being 'weirded out' (I think) by all these creatures that were like "decayed Stockwell Days"... and he couldn't sleep. (Reg - Now we know what he does in his time off away from home!)

Talked about people covering his music, and how their interpretation sometime baffles him. He referred to "an English band who did (I think) Waiting For A Miracle" but they changed the music - "what is the point??"... He mentioned that he liked Jimmy Buffet's interpretation of two of his songs. He spoke about Sept 11th and watching those scenes over and over and over, and feeling it would be moronic to even think of writing a song, but with time, felt it was appropriate and he produced Put It In Your Heart - not yet available on any recording.

Got everyone singing to Wondering Where The Lions Are... he got a laugh by telling us we could sing on OUR part, he would sing the rest... At end of evening, someone yelled that he would like it to last all night... BC didn't even look up, just kept tuning his guitar with a wry half-smile and said that could be taken as an indecent proposal but he would take it properly and decline the offer. A manilla envelope was thrown on stage prior to intermission; he picked it up, waved and left stage.

Two encores - on the last one, he said his voice was giving out so played an instrumental instead... magic. (Reg - It was Down To The Delta.) Peggy’s Kitchen Wall had everyone singing... he gave it extra power... very electrifying. I only saw him make eye contact with the audience once while he played, in the second set... it was very short. At first, I was startled by the closed eyes, but very shortly after, felt that I was priveliged to be invited in to his intimate world... the experience was intensified greatly by that. At the last song before the intermission, he said that he would be taking a break next, or "what is the business, is called intermission... or taking a leak... or whatever..."

The lighted background - in particular on Put It In Your Heart was very focused - red and yellow from above into a vortex that gave me the impression of him standing at the bottom of a very deep, rock-sided cavern... the daylight and sky shining through a small opening far above... though I can interpret my own meaning in that, it would be speculative; I do not know if it was intentional - but it was the only number lit in that fashion. Talked of the Vietnam Veterans Association who are working to eliminate land mines... do not recall the song that it led into. In general, in response to audience 'remarks' in the first set, he quietly took them in and responded very respectfully, but did not encourage the banter... I sensed those people wanted to connect in a frivolous way, but he did not - he was in another place. The first set seemed more sombre than the second, where he did 'play' a bit back to the audience.

As a first time concert-goer, I was impressed by his quiet professionalism, at the same time creating an incredible sense of intimacy... his words are very intellectual, not random 'rhymes' as so many are... I sense he feels each and every word, and the music was created as a vehicle to share the message - not a tune written and then words crammed in to fit. Amazing, I felt I was in the presence of someone truly gifted, who has not sold out to become a pop artist but has stayed true to his art and himself. We are invited along for the ride as long as we accept that.