Since returning to music, after his short lived retirement, Ryan Adams has continued to release music at a pace that still puts most artists to shame. The release of his new album ‘Fire & Ashes’, a more a less solo acoustic endeavour reminiscent of his debut triumph ‘Heartbreaker’ and his 3rd of three albums in the one year ’29’ has prompted an eagerly awaited tour in the UK. Thus he will be presenting himself at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre on Sunday the 30th of October to a reliable audience seeking to catch a glimmer of that early sparkle…
Inconsistent is a word that is synonymous with Mr Adams, from the (nervous) breakdown of his punk band the Patty Duke Syndrome led to him establishing the band Whiskeytown, who created two of the greatest albums of the Alt. Country scene, if not two of the best albums of the period. His solo debut ‘Heartbreaker’, which if you haven’t heard then what have you been doing’ with yourself, alerted those outside of the scene that here was a bright fresh talent that promised so much.
Since that debut album being a Ryan Adams fan has been a tough endeavour! Each album, and there are a few, has increasing been pulled down by the deadweight of filler but there is always at least a couple of gems worthy of the patience the listener gives him.
Ryan’s live appearances are very much like his records – inconsistent, and the show at the Festival Theatre will probably by the same. Periods of banality followed with those ‘hair rising on the back of your neck’ moments. So is it worth the risk… if you are a fan, you already know it is! If you’re not, then you won’t have anything to compare it to so get yourself ticket!
Tickets are available from Ripping Records, Ticket Scotland and the venue – http://www.fctt.org.uk/festival_theatre/