An unsurprisingly good turn-out for a wet Friday in Edinburgh when James Yorkston, along with a few familiar faces from the Fence Collective played the Queens Hall. The first half of the concert felt something of a Fence Collective Away Game (as opposed to Home Game, their name for their own series of Fife festivals.)
Yorkston’s chequered career path will be familiar to fans, but given the following this widely appreciated singer-songwriter now enjoys, some may find his initial struggles to gain recognition a puzzling comment on the vagaries of the current music scene.
Yorkston is, for this reviewer, a remarkable tunesmith whose lyrics can reach broadly and deeply into the individual and collective consciousness of his audience. There’s an assurance to his work which convinces that you’re in safe hands, and if at times he seems to reach a little too readily for his own form of comfort blanket, he’s too shrewd a performer to let it get in the way of a good song.
Pictish Trail (Johnny Lynch) kicked off before being joined by King Creosote (Kenny Anderson) and other familiar Fence faces, including Yorkston, to play a few numbers in a more hard rock style than is usual in the Yorkston oeuvre.
The second half gave Yorkston, frequently accompanied by his three musical graces, playing fiddle, clarinet and harp respectively, full play for his lyrical abilities and acoustic soundscape.
His first Edinburgh gig, several years ago now, was as support act for Bert Jansch. The repertoire on offer at the Queen’s Hall was an indication of not only how far Yorkston has travelled but also how complex his journey has been. Although clearly a musician constantly maturing and developing, Yorkston seems set to continue to offer his audiences pleasure and challenge in equal measure for many years to come.
Concert: Friday 11th November, 2011