Review: SummerTyne Rogue's Gallery, The Sage Gateshead

Jul 26 2008 by Sam Wonfor, The Journal

THURSDAY’s entry on the SummerTyne Festival programme must have somehow slipped through the cracks of people’s subconscious.

That’s the only explanation I can think of for the lack of a sell-out inside Hall One at The Sage Gateshead.

Even if you didn’t consider yourself a paid-up member of the sea shanty/pirate song fan club (and I don’t know many who do), I’d still have wagered that a bill diverse enough to include Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins, Suzanne Vega, Beth Orton, former Squeeze boy Chris Difford, Robyn Hitchcock, Gavin Friday and our very own Kathryn Williams and the sisters Unthank (I could go on) would have warranted a more than half-full effort.

Those who had embraced the forethought to bag themselves a ticket were doubtless feeling rather smug – and rightly so.

Based on the critically acclaimed CD release of the same name, the concert featured a packed catalogue of pirated music without the hint of an illegal download.

The original idea for the CD came from Johnny Depp during the filming of the blockbusting trilogy Pirates of the Caribbean.

All produced by “maverick genius” Hal Willner, the traditional sea shanties, pirate ballads and sea-faring songs were recorded by the likes of Sting, Bryan Ferry and Bono.

On Thursday, the songs were all performed with joyously large helping of theatrics and jolly good fun by the eclectic ensemble who had embraced their subject matter wholeheartedly (m’hearties) all the way down to their bandanas, braces and britches in some cases.

A smattering of highlights (there were too many to mention) would be the aforementioned Oscar winner, Mr Robbins taking the lead mic for My Son John, Sandy Dillon (whose voice suggests a Macy Gray/Steve Tyler parentage) pleading Leave Her Johnny and Gavin Friday giving the Baltimore Whores food for thought.

A beautiful duet, One Spring Morning from Teddy Thompson and Kathryn Williams also made its mark on my memories of the night.

But my resounding recollection of the evening was simply that the smile was still on my face as I put my pieces of eight into the machine to pay my parking.

* The concert was a co-commission with The Barbican and formed part of the Summertyne Festival which ends this weekend. Highlights from tonight are a sell-out gig by k.d. lang in Hall One and Brandi Carlile plus Foy Vance in Hall Two.

Tomorrow sees Martha Wainwright and guest Dawn Landes bring proceedings to a close in Hall One. Visit www.thesagegateshead.org for full listings. To buy tickets, call (0191) 443-4661.

Sam Wonfor