Went to see Mike Compton and Joe Newberry

[Johnny60]

Hi folks,

Went to a Mike Compton and Joe Newberry gig in Leeds (UK) on Friday night. What a good night!

I'd never seen either of them live before, but so wasn't 100% sure what to expect, other than good musicianship. Well, they certainly delivered plenty of that, but they also had a fantastic rapport with the audience, with plenty of witty asides and anecdotes.

They played a selection of Old Time, early country, early blues, early rockabilly and, of course, a little bluegrass. Despite plainly suffering from a pretty nasty cold, Mike Compton was great on his Duff F5.

What impressed me most about his playing was the fact that he really filled out the songs with double stops, cross picking, bluesy runs and slides, and some really nice ornamentations. With only a guitar (or, sometimes, a banjo) and a mandolin on the stage there was enough "room" to really hear his playing shine through.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening leading us through the history of American roots music.

[KEB]

Thanks for this post. I'll be in London later this week, and just discovered Mike Compton and Joe Newburry will be at Southbank Centre for a free show on Friday. I've got play tickets for later in the evening, so I won't be able to hang out too long, but I was looking for an excuse to make it to Southbank Centre, and this looks like a good one!

Any Londoner MC folk going to be there?

[Steve VandeWater]

I saw them this past summer at a tiny place in Indiana. Their CD, which I bought at intermission, has become a VERY frequent listen for me. Great stuff!

[BradKlein]

Nice concert review. I personally would like to hear more discussion of various performances and recordings on the Cafe. I mean, I'm as interested in picks, tuners and strings - and drooling over valuable instruments, as the next guy...

[Uncle Choppy]

Arghhh. Just read this and Googled the tour.
They're playing just down the road from me tomorrow night but it's sold out!
There's another date not too far away on Wednesday but other commitments mean that I can't get there.
Anyway, thanks for the post and it sounds like you had a great night.

[Peter Skerratt]

I'm planning to get there. Hadn't realised they were in the UK until I read this thread. I particularly love 'Stomp' but enjoying Mike & Joe's 'Live' album as well. A missed opportunity for a bigger concert in London! Or even some smaller ones.