In addition to a flourishing solo career, John Power had the distinction of being a member of two iconic British bands of the eighties and the nineties, The La’s and Cast. While continuing to work with the La’s, Power resumed his solo career in 2006, releasing an album of hard-stomping folk-rock, Willow She Weeps, in the autumn of that year. Now, he brings music from across his career to The Bodega...
The great litmus test for those of us of the Generation X gig-going vintage is which song warrants the whipping out of a mobile phone to record the moment. As for a cohort who made their first forays onto the gig circuit pre-mobile, it’s still not an entirely comfortable medium with which to document a live experience for many (thankfully).
Upstairs at a packed Bodega, it was Cast’s lovelorn lament, Walkaway, which proved the tipping point as dozens of middle-aged men in their finest casual wear were momentarily swept back to their Britpop pomp.
The man responsible for penning this much-loved ballad, the band’s shaggy-haired troubadour John Power, is visibly moved by the moment. Now 56, and a seasoned veteran on the solo circuit, he’s still in fine fettle.
Opener Grounded Truth sets the tone for a wistful twenty minutes or so where distant dreams, high seas and idealistic hopes are all covered lyrically.
Rattling through an eighteen-song setlist, with just his trusty acoustic guitar for company, the Liverpudlian makes no apologies for kicking off his set with a flurry of solo material hewn from the 25 years since Cast were in their heyday. Opener Grounded Truth sets the tone for a wistful twenty minutes or so where distant dreams, high seas and idealistic hopes are all covered lyrically.
The crowd listen intently, happy to wait for the predictable deluge of hits - the propulsive Sandstorm and jaunty Finetime satisfy the masses before two new cuts, a pensive Bluebird and a promising First Smile Ever, are debuted from a forthcoming Youth-produced Cast long-player, which Power promises will be the band’s best in ‘25 years’.
Timeless Melody is a welcome reminder of his other previous incarnation, the much-revered The La’s, before the hopeful Guiding Star and set closer, Alright, send the crowd off to relieve babysitters and recommence real life.
Power doesn’t necessarily break any ground with his material, but there’s no doubting his ear for a melody, passion and socialist world views are valuable in this week, of all weeks.
John Power performed at The Bodega on 12 October 2023.
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