Artist: Ricky Warwick, Eddie spaghetti

Venue:  02 Academy, Newcastle

Date:  28 June 2009 

Well it's a warm Sunday night in Newcastle and what better way to enjoy it than a night of acoustic rock, courtesy of The Almighty’s vocalist / rhythm guitarist Ricky Warwick and Supersuckers frontman Eddie Spaghetti.

Both have a history of acoustic and solo albums, so the pairing of the two seemed a match made in acoustic heaven.  Having just seen the Supersuckers a few months ago, I was a little more prepared for tonight than I was that night and tonight I actually got what Eddie was all about.

The Academy 2 is a perfect venue for an acoustic show, making them a real intermit affair and the crowd were behind both guys tonight in a big way. 

As Eddie Spaghetti walked on stage to whoops and cheers, the crowd settled down to a set full of modern Cowboy Rock as only Eddie can do.  Opening up his twenty song set with ‘Bottom Dollar’, instantly this rock n' roll cowpoke had the fans in the palm of his hand and he puppet mastered them well. 

The set continued with the Johnny Cash like ‘Best Of Both Worlds’, which ended with Spaghetti informing the crowd that after every song he would introduce a "Cha Cha Cha" ending to let them know when to go wild .. and you know what, it really did work a treat all night with the crowd more than eager to please with this request.  

'Dead In The Water' was giving a little country twang before the excellent ‘Gotta Get Drunk’, again after every song "Cha Cha Cha" invoked a rapturous cheer from the audience.  The set continued with a mix of Supersuckers tunes and some from Spaghettis solo album, with a few surprises thrown in for good luck like the Johnny Cash cover  'What Do I Care’, which he dedicated to his wife who was covering the merch stand with son Quattro.

Some highlights of the set for me were said Cash cover as well as ‘Non Additive Marijuana’, the Dean Martin classic ‘Little Ol’ Wine Drinker Me’, which had everyone singing along and the rousing version of 'Pretty Fucked Up', which itself closed out the set and one I would highly recommend to anyone with more than a touch of C & W in your veins. 

Now for a more rockier acoustic set from the Newtownard’s son Ricky Warwick, who really got things going in fantastic style with ‘Church Of Paranoia’ and straight away Warwick had the audiences attention.  This was quickly followed by ‘Can’t Live With Maybe’.  Well he said .. "I’m wearing a Motorhead T-shirt so I might as well play a song" ... before storming through ‘Ace Of Spades’, which went down a storm, as did all the songs tonight.  This wasn’t the only cover Ricky performed here tonight, he more than proved he still had a few more surprises up his tattooed sleeves for us before the night was out.

Next it was the first of the classic Almighty tracks and what better one could he have picked than ‘Wild And Wonderful’, our editors all time favourite songs from the band and one that got the rousing audience singing along to it.  But what really made this particular show special was Ricky’s stories in between the songs.  He told us tales of when he toured with Motorhead in his early Almighty days and downed a pint of JD with the man himself Lemmy before justifiably collapsing down in front of him in a pool of sick, to which Kilminster said ... “Warwick you’ll never make it!”.

Then it was time for something off his latest solo release with the title track ‘Belfast Confetti’, which sounds good on album and live it's even better, as Ricky gave it his all on the acoustic six string.  It was time to roll back the years to his first solo album 'Tattoo’s and Alibi’s' for the excellent ‘Mysterioso’.

Another tale of debauchery followed from when he was on tour with Girlschool in Detroit.  Apparently after a bad trip on magic mushrooms Floyd was taken back to his room worse for wares.  He'd asked Ricky to sing him an Almighty song because he said had forgotten them all.  The song Ricky sang him that night was the next one in tonight's set  ‘Jesus Loves You...But I Don’t’.  

I said Ricky had a few surprises up his sleeve song wise and the Iron Maiden cover 'Running Free' was one of them, to which he dedicated to Eddie Spaghetti’s son Quattro, who rushed down the front of the stage on hearing this.  The crowd gave us a cheer as the little guy rocked on down with the rest of us mere mortals.

As Spaghetti did before him Ricky pulled out the Johnny Cash card with one of my favourites from the man ‘Ring Of Fire’, which almost had me hoarse as I sang out with the rest of the older section of the crowd. With the classic song ‘Free And Easy’ sandwiched in between new stuff ‘Born Fighting’ and ‘The Arms Of Belfast Town’, it clear Ricky had the set right, mixing new material with old and slipping in a curve ball now and again.  All making this a truly great night.

One of the stories of the night just before last song of the set, which was ‘The Arms Of Belfast Town’, happened when The Almighty were touring the US with Def Leppard.  On their day off in Illinois the bands and roadies decided to take a trip to the local strip club, only Ricky had other ideas.  Being a farmers son and growing up driving tractors he had one thing on his mind The John Deere Tractor Museum, which was near the hotel.  So while the rest of them visited the strip club, Ricky sped out the back door of the hotel and after giving the Manager of the museum four tickets for the next show, he spent eight hours driving all he could at the museum!  


Describing it as as the best day of his life.  Much to the bemusement of the rest of them back at the hotel, and his wife who he phoned later that night.  When she asked him what he'd done on his day off he told her the guys went to a strip club and I went to the John Deer Tractor Museum, and the line just went dead!  

After a short spell off stage Ricky was back and rounded off a great night with The Clash classic 'I Fought The Law And The Law Won’, which ended of a truly great night and one I'd highly recommend.  If not this tour then later in the year when Ricky comes back around again.  I’ll definitely be at one of these shows if not more for sure. Fantastic!

 

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