Unfortunately, most have mortgages to pay, so it comes as little surprise to see so many folk singers from the 60s blazing the comeback trail during these depressing financial times.
Al Stewart, though, is a little bit different. He may have a m
ortgage, but he's never stopped playing. For him, it's all about the music – even if the pennies earned from last night's concert at the Queens Hall are more welcome than ever.
Once the proud owner of a thick mop of hair, Stewart's barnet is now receding and grey. Still, his chirpy voice and nimble guitar playing is as strong and agile as ever, the 63-year-old looking more like an eccentric university history professor than a ravaged, world-weary troubadour.
His professorsial look is more than a little apt – he's renowned for his in-depth knowledge of historic events, and figures ranging from Charles XII (whose features, ironically, Stewart resembles) to Britain's wartime prime minister get a namecheck (his song Churchill's Hiccup is named in honour of the then-British Colonial Secretary's huge zigzag when drawing up Jordan's eastern border with Saudi Arabia, which Churchill blamed on "three rather large Cognacs").
In fact, his song introductions are sometimes longer than the songs themselves; nevertheless, armed with camp wit and charm, Stewart's curious historical background knowledge adds weight to his songwriting talents.
Beginning the show by apologising for being born in Glasgow ("It's OK, I left when I was three"), the first half-hour flew by, as Stewart revealed a concerning account about his ability to memorise the catalogue numbers of pop records from his youth; a tune about growing up during the President Eisenhower years ("even though I hadn't"), and a humorous anecdote involving Yoko Ono, £100, a porn theatre, and some much-needed groceries for a starving musician.
Towards the end of the main set, Stewart jokingly – though justifiably – berated his peers who require a Teleprompter in order to sing their own songs. It may have been Stewart's way of taking a sly stab at politicians or reality TV pop stars. Whatever the case, Stewart certainly made his point(s) felt.
Accompanying Stewart in all of this, incidentally, is Laurence –"most famous for playing guitar in Paul McCartney's Wings" – Juber. A champion finger-style guitarist, the Londoner is the perfect foil for Stewart, much of his mazy guitar runs providing an enjoyable, if not too imposing distraction to Stewart's storytelling.
When the duo returned to the stage for a well-deserved encore, they didn't overstay their welcome, a quick song "about getting old" following a spontaneous Shadows instrumental. Indeed, ninety minutes of acoustic guitar and voice might sound like a bit of a struggle for those with a shortened attention span, however, with messrs Stewart and Juber at the helm, it's never a chore.
