Michael Chapman Live Reviews

Truly Underground Jack Rose, Michael Chapman

Helderberg House, NY, USA Oct. 8 2008

Jack Wingate, Albany purveyor of underground music via Flipped Out Records and his own flipped-out band, Burnt Hills, has been known to host quite the doozy of a basement show from time to time, usually on the psychedelic/noise side of the fence. An altogether gentler but no less intense vibe suffused the recent visit by hallowed British folkie Michael Chapman and esteemed Philadelphia-based guitarist Jack Rose to the surreal confines of the Wingate cavern. What occurred was an evening of acoustic-guitar playing par excellence that could not go unreported.

Seated near a grinning, electric pumpkin head, a cup of Maker’s Mark near at hand, Rose played a mesmerizing set of instrumental set pieces that melded Eastern and Western musical styles with a thrilling and virtuosic ease. The 30-something Rose dove headlong into what could only be described as a raga, his perpetually moving picking hand creating the swirling drone of a sitar as he picked out notes seldom heard on a Western flat-top guitar. Halfway through this first tune, the melodies wandered westward to Israel, perhaps a reference that Yom Kippur had started a few hours earlier on in the evening. Rose followed with a tour de force of fingerpicked blues that seemed to take up where Mississippi John Hurt and the ragtime guitar of Blind Blake left off. Rose finished his set with improvisatory forays that seemed to try and reconcile the disparate heritages of European and Middle Eastern classical music—an inspiring and extremely difficult feat.

Michael Chapman, while far from a household name, comes from the same school of guitar and songcraft as his better-known peers Bert Jansch and Roy Harper. A wizened but robust raconteur with a wreath of white hair framing a friendly, grandfatherly face, Chapman was touring the United States for just the third time last 30 years. Setting up his songs with backstories that were simultaneously revealing, poignant and funny, Chapman gave relaxed and masterful versions of the recent “After All This Time” and the comparatively ancient “Little Molly’s Dream.” Recalling a dinner party with the late folk giant John Fahey and his wife while on a visit to his home in East L.A. (it involved the host getting completely naked while still at the dinner table), Chapman followed with a tribute of sorts, “Fahey’s Flag”—“a pastiche, which is French for a piss-take.” Like Rose, Chapman looked beyond the borders of the West with a tempestuous instrumental influenced by Indonesian gamelan music, before ending on a simply revelatory pass through “Winter in Memphis,” a bracing account of a dark night’s travel through the American South.

The intimate nature of a person alone with just their voice and their instrument is often lost in more open spaces; the basement setting served each of the performers on this memorable night by focusing one’s attention on just what a wonder the melding of mind, body and soul can be, especially with artists of such dedication and integrity.

—Mike Hotter

The Half Moon 2007

When you've already seen an artist live 25 times, it's unlikely that they will still surprise you. However, Michael's set at The Half Moon Putney on Sunday, was arguably the greatest that I've ever seen him play. I would even go as far as saying that it was one of the best gigs I've ever seen (and for a mere £8.00!). Michael gave an extraordinary performance of musical virtuosity. His voice was on top form, and he fully displayed his exceptional skills as an acoustic guitarist (not even stopping for a break).

He was in great spirits, and brought in some original humour. Michael opened with "Only Pretend" and "That Time of Night". He then played two songs from "one of his few heroes" Mose Allison - namely "Parchman Farm" and one I hadn't heard before. Other recent classics included "Sometimes" and "Memphis in Winter", and from earlier days - the beautiful "Among the Trees" and "One Time Thing" (which never fail to tug at the heart strings). The anthems were there - "Postcards of Scarborough”, "Wrecked Again" and “Soulful Lady”, and a few great instrumentals including "Caddo Lake" and (most notably) "La Madrugada". The Half Moon is an excellent venue, with respectful audience and tasteful lighting (and seemingly smoke-free). It was great to meet other Chapman supporters, Debbie and Colin and Ruth and Patric there. It was also good to see Ralph McTell and Wizz Jones sitting in the bar, afterwards.

Michael Chapman Sunday October 24th ; The 12 Bar; Preston.

Well I have just got back; it was a remarkable event; held to commemorate the launch of a book detailing the Preston Underground scene of the 1970's; Michael Chapman was the live act. Admission, £3.00. It was packed. There was a really well known (in Preston) music underground club called The Amethyst that had all the big 70's bands playing; Genesis; Jethro Tull, There were posters all over the walls, reproduced from the period. Pretty Things, The Multicoloured Nipples, Camel, are you beginning to get the picture? In the late 60's & 70's Amethyst was the place to go in Preston for live music on the underground scene; Michael remembered playing there 3 times; but as he came on he quipped; "Have I been booked to play here because I'm the only one still alive who can still remember how to play?" Other acts that appeared at Amethyst in the 70's included, Barclay James Harvest, Van Der Graff Generator, Mick Abrahams Band and many more; it just goes to show how some music lives on and other stuff just fades away. We arrived to the sound of Yes; Yours is no disgrace- sounded great and loud! To open the proceedings some guys who used to be DJ's and mc's in the 70’s, now gentlemen of more mature years, were at the decks playing tracks by Mick Abrahams, Led Zep, John Mayall and John Martyn and others. Mmmmm.... some Rough, black, dark, and loud stuff; (including the décor) oil projector lamps turning, green lamps a bit of neon glowing here & there. Then some announcements about “visionary people who had had a vision and seen that vision come to fruition”. I think at this point they played Ramble On by Led Zep, “a fantastic band, a truly fantastic band” The bar quickly ran out of beer & the atmosphere was so thick with Old Holborn you could swear it had been bottled in 1975 and released 30 years later. A few guys about still with long hair, but most were loosing it faster than they could grow it; faintly comical in a charming kind of way. And a guy who appears at every 70’s event I’ve ever been to, of whom my buddy Alan enquired of me; I wonder if he looks like Rod Stewart in real life? Michael came on at 9.30 and introduced himself with pertinent remarks (in the circumstances) about how amazing it was that he could remember anything from 35 years ago, given the many years of self inflicted abuse he had suffered.

It was like being 18 again; and Michael was on. He played a strong set. He had to. The crowd were loud, including Keef Hartley (legendary drummer and band leader who played with Michael through the 70's), who could be heard heckling from the rear; "Rubbish" he yelled at one point; Immediately MC dedicated Bon Ton Roolay “..to Professor Hartley, the great man of jam! “ and in response to Keefs’ vaguely obscene gesture at the stage said, " you seem to forget; I sacked you in 1976." Are you two still giving each other grief? I asked Keef; “Always have done”, came the reply. Just in case anyone gets the wrong idea about words between MC and KH. It was all good natured banter, no malice. They enjoyed a big hot pot supper before the gig!

We heard scintillating guitar work, the trademark growly rowly vocals, and a flashback in time as the evening got more rowdy. Unphased, Michale played on, never missing a note, to an encore of Kodak Ghosts; the best song of the night. Then the fire alarm went off- not surprising really given all the smoke.The strangest event I've been to in a few years; unmissable. ENJOYED IT LOADS. So we drank up our beer and left! Happy. Graham Smout

The Junction (Otley)

Michael Chapman 10th February 2004 - Francis Denning

Back in the early 1970's Michael Chapman was recording a series of albums for the Harvest label each characterised by his relentlessly gloomy lyrics, gravel voiced delivery and beautifully fluent ragtime guitar picking. Along with fellow performers such as Roy Harper and Al Stewart he was an influential figure on the acoustic scene at the time. Imagine my delight, therefore, to discover he was playing at The Junction in Otley. (Tuesday nights at The Junction are an opportunity to catch some remarkable and varied musical performances, and it's free.)

Chapman's performance did not disappoint, an audience of middle-aged aficionados was transfixed by the unlikely figure looking strangely like a diminutive roofing contractor with a limited clothing budget.

Old favourites from his best-known album, "Fully Qualified Survivor" were interspersed with more recent songs and instrumentals. Michael Chapman had lost none of the dextrous finger picking, capacity for turning a catchily suicidal lyric, or the voice of someone who evidently needed a good cough sweet and the advice to stop smoking immediately and, although the venue was not as full as it ought to have been, he managed to create and maintain a great atmosphere.

Discussing his performance with him afterwards it was evident that here was someone who had a real enthusiasm for his music. If you get the chance to see this little known treasure give yourselves a treat.