WRECKLESS ERIC
The Railway, Winchester 21/4/04

View from the front; standing room only, within spitting distance of the man.

‘I’m not a revival or nostalgia act’, insists Eric, who has apparently given serious consideration to touring as Neckless Derek, a tribute to himself, ‘If I was I’d be wearing lame’. He ends the set with a ragged but rapturously received rendition of Whole Wide World & encores with Take the Kash and Semaphore Signals all the same.

‘I’ve enjoyed this; it’s like playing a scout hut with lights’. The Railway is a beautiful Hampshire pub and intimate venue to say the least. No more than seventy-five lovers of beer and song, thoroughly appreciated an hour and a half of Eric –solo, sober, unplugged, plugged, rambling, ranting and playing his heart out, baring his soul…

Eric has a brace of new songs; dark, autobiographical works about debt, addiction, despair and self-loathing. Local starts as a sociopathic mumble with bluesy picking and builds into a rant with spiralling feedback and is designed to insult everyone in the locality. ‘No offence meant, none taken I’m sure’, sneers Eric, but still the faithful applaud.

Eric has a warmth about him as a performer; a vulnerability but a bumbling arrogance. He’s a funny, cynical raconteur, breaking to read from his ‘a Dysfunctional Success’ autobiography mid-set. But it’s his songs that tell the story of his life too; from his childhood (Same, Same, Same), to his alcoholic daze (Continuity girl) and all the messed up relationships in-between (Fuck by Fuck). His forthcoming album is going to be his most complete work yet; stories of life in the raw, love and survival.

This was a memorable gig from an under-rated artist, back on top form.

(Ged Babey)

NB second line …….. lame – pronounced lar-may – needs an accent on the ‘e’.