Review: Live Music - Ryan Adams

Cork Opera House

Ryan Adams is a quirky genius and an incomparable storyteller. Surely, only he could score a five-star review on a night he dismissed his band from the stage after 20 minutes, complaining of a sore larynx. He opted to go solo with his acoustic guitar, singing softly rather than cancel the show.

“You’re doing okay,” some guy repeated calmly during song intervals.

“At one level, I’m so glad this happened to me,” said Adams. “I got to hear your reassuring voice, Tim.”

“My name is Denis,” replied Denis.

“Well, Denis, would you mind recording some comforting lines and send them to me, so I can listen to your voice whenever I need to? Your voice will be like a reference point for me for the rest of my life.”

A female fan asked about the cardboard cat sitting atop his speakers. “That’s Mr Cat,” said Adams.

Did Adams ever write a song for Mr Cat, she asked. Yes, but it’s an improv, like a new song every time. In the Opera House, it was pure magic. Equally memorable were gems like ‘If I Am A Stranger’, ‘Winding Wheel’, and ‘Gimme Something Good’.

The crowd really warmed to his duets with Natalie Prass — ‘Carolina’ and a cover of Patrick Swayze’s ‘She’s Like The Wind’. He also sang ‘Run To You’, by his near name-sake, Bryan Adams, complete with more comical audience interaction.

Adams also played a guitar solo for Prass during her warm-up set. A fine songwriter with a voice of rare purity, she’s a hot bet for alt-stardom. And she’s learning from the best.

Adams’s voice did finally break in the last song, crowd-pleaser ‘Come Pick Me Up’, but only after two hours of mesmerising music. Before this show, I was barely a fan. My plan now is to buy his entire back catalogue.