The new Kula Productions offshoot ‘Frazer Theatre Music’ has
pulled off a real coup in booking the magnificent Chris Wood. A major name in
the music world a former Radio 2 folk award winner and now a 2014 nominee for
‘best original song ‘None the Wiser’. No one should bet on the 19th
February at the Royal Albert Hall as he won’t be first passed the post again!
Tonight touring his new album also called ‘None the Wiser’
it’s inception a direct result from a 2012 fifty date tour support and to quote
the man himself “pieced together from observations and overheard conversations!
Nothing is made up!”
I’m not altogether sure what Chris thinks about awards but
after the briefest of introductions, guitar in hand, a quick smile, a strange
guttural hum as he nears the mic almost ‘arabesque’ in its sound and straight
into the 2014 nominee song. His understated guitar accompaniment draws the
Frazer audience into Woods world! Another song passed and it was like he’d just
realised there’s someone else in the room; “We’re alright, aren’t we?” he asks.
The crowd responded with mass enthusiasm; Wood simply smiles!
His unassuming demeanour is backed with a fierce conviction.
His lyrics had us all recognising life’s failings, half- truths mixed together
with nuances of politics and honesty, rare in any form of entertainment these days!
There were moments of humour, such as when Chris was
concerned about his guitar on his lap, he was never quite sure how pretentious
it looks; various positions were adopted! Next, he played ‘My Darlings
Downsized’ a song about wife, Henrietta, being able to relax more now things
have taken off! A tale of life enjoying each other, togetherness at the
allotment and of course ‘chitting’ (Google it) your potatoes, beautifully done!
Collaborations have resulted in Wood taking the William
Blake poem ‘Jerusalem’ and reworking Hubert Parry’s music out of the equation!
Finding himself on stage with Billy Bragg, something clicked; Billy belted out
the lines as statements and kept turning to ‘Chrissy-Boy’ and berating him to
sing up! Wood’s version was stunning, telling us he saw the words as questions
with the answers being ‘no’. Not your average Saturday night party music! He
also told us about working with a rap artist Dizraeli, who made him feel
ancient, which resulted in the song ‘A Whole Life Lived’ the realisation that
the exasperating clichés of a young man who is now at an age where he
recognises his younger self and how it’s all part of growing up!
The Frazer Theatre was treated to a Maverick performer at
the top of his game! Check out those folk awards; I suspect he’ll be needing
bigger trophy cabinets soon!
