Seasick Steve @ Camden Roundhouse - concert review

Seasick Steve is something of an enigma. A former hobo and vagabond, Steve has had a hard life before becoming a cult legend in his own right, bringing back a classical blues rock sound revival against the prominence of dubstep and autotuned pop hokum.

After a bluesy incarnation of Amazing Grace, Steve was joined onstage by John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin fame), who was fresh from performing alongside Steve on Jools Holland’s show the night before. Jones brought his multi-instrumental dexterity to compliment Steve’s blues sound, but gracefully avoided drawing attention away from the main man himself, playing on junkyard instruments.

The entire set had the crowd uplifted and animated. Highlights included Self Sufficient Man and Down on the Farm. Steve mostly played tracks from his newly released album Hubcap Music, which consequentially sounds too 'refined' for his unique sound. However, when Steve played them live, he made up for it by amplifying their spit and grit sound, along with the accompaniment of Jones and two Nashville gospel singers, giving it an extra flair.

Whether it was his down-to-earth personality, his use of hand-made instruments or his subtle charisma, seeing Seasick Steve live for the first time proved to me he really is the Self Sufficient Man.

Support:

Duke Garwood

Setlist:

Amazing Grace

Self Sufficient Man

Don't Know Why She Love Me But She Do

Home

Keep On Keepin' On

Walkin' Man

Dark

Over You

Cathy's Clown

Freedom Road

Last Po' Man

That's All

Prospect Lane

Hope

I Started Out With Nothin'

Coast Is Clear

Down On The Farm

Encore:

Thunderbird